


The Mother of All Secrets

by DollyDivine



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Civil War (Marvel), Evil Alexander Pierce, F/M, Falling In Love, Hydra (Marvel), Kidnapping, Parent Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, SHIELD, Steve Rogers Feels, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2019-06-26 08:03:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15659121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollyDivine/pseuds/DollyDivine
Summary: A secret hidden for nearly seventy years, is finally resurrecting itself.“What’s your secret name?” She whispered as she pulled the bandage tighter round his waist.“Mmm.. my what?”“You know, your secret name. The one no one knows you’re called. Only you and someone special?”“J... James Bbbb...” Came out from between his lips before he could stop himself.“Hello James, I’m Dolores. I’m your wife.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m so excited to finally post this re-imagining of The Winter Soldier and Civil War. I didn’t want to copy the films word for word, just use them for inspiration. I hope you enjoy, feedback is always welcome!

16th Dec 1991

 

“You’ve done well, Soldier.”

 

Alexander Pierce patted the shoulder of his prized possession, before making his way out of the cryogenics lab. He didn’t need a report or a break down of how it was done, he just needed to know that the mission had been completed successfully. The Asset was the only man under his command that he could truly trust to get a job done swiftly and efficiently, never failing in his 45 years of service to Hydra.

 

But what if he does?

 

Pierce was all too aware that a day would come when a lab technician would screw up the freezing process or a mind-wipe too many would turn the Asset into a vegetable. They had successfully acquired Stark’s version of the super-soldier serum but what if it didn’t work? For all he knew, this could fail like his countless other attempts to recreate Erskine’s formula. There had only been two successful subjects, the one in the room behind him and the one at the bottom of the ocean.

 

Pierce stopped.

 

He had almost forgotten about the potential third.

 

What if...

 

He turned on his heels back to the lab, just in time to see his precious Soldier succumb to cryogenic sleep once again.

 

“Dr Franklin, a word?”

 

A meek little man, clutching a clipboard of papers and hastily jotting down notes, jumped at the sound of his name being called. He plastered a thin smile on his face but it did nothing to hide his nerves.

 

“When Hydra recruited me, I was informed of Project D23. Where are we at with that?”

 

“It’s still shelved, Sir. There were only very small traces of the serum in its blood, we had much stronger samples of it from the Asset, so nothing ever came from it.”

 

“And the infants body? Do we still have it?”

 

“Yes, it’s here in the lab, frozen alongside the Asset...”

 

“Meet me in my office, one hour. Bring the file.”

 

“Yes Sir.”

 

***

 

Franklin gently wrapped his knuckles on the wooden door, clutching the file with a tight grip in his other hand. Just holding this document made him excited and nervous all at once. If Pierce was thinking the same as him, then this project could finally give him the recognition he so desperately craved from Hydra.

 

He heard Pierce’s voice murmur for him to come in before storming through the door ready to pitch his idea.

 

“Take a seat, Franklin. You brought the file?”

 

“Yes, Sir. That contains all the information on D23.”

 

“Are there any other copies?”

 

“No, Sir. I checked with the Hydra information library. The only file on D23 was kept with the subjects body, incase the information fell into the wrong hands.”

 

Pierce hadn’t looked up at him once since he walked into the room but Franklin was used to this. Though their work was vital, scientists like himself were always seen as mere worker bees, their roles made to feel almost trivial compared with the field agents and soldiers who operated outside Hydra compounds. Pierce skimmed over the file quietly while drinking his coffee, seemingly ignoring the scientists presence for nearly 10 minutes.

 

“How long have you worked for us, Dr Franklin?”

 

“Almost 30 years, Sir.” Franklin was startled out of the silences and his thoughts.

 

“Science has come along way in that time.” Pierce mused.

 

“Indeed it has, Sir.”

 

“Far enough to be able to re-animate this project? Clone it to create another?”

 

“Sir, I believe I can re-animate the original.”

 

“Really? You think you can give life back to the dead?”

 

“Only if the infant never died in the first place, Sir.”

 

It was with that statement that made Pierce finally look up from his paperwork, his head swarming with ideas. This could actually work.

 

“She’s alive?!”

 

“I took the liberty to scan the body of the infant before coming up here, to give me an idea of its condition and I found a heartbeat! Granted it is barely that hence why it wasn’t detected before now, but the subject is alive!”

 

“Franklin, listen to me. This is an extremely delicate matter, I want to know everything going on inside that child’s body before we even contemplate taking it out of cryo. And this stays between you and I. I need to put plans in place, all of which will take time. Am I making myself clear?”

 

“Yes, Sir.”

 

“You have 48 hours. I want a detailed report on my desk outlining everything we know about it.”

 

Franklin scuttled out of the office as quick as his scrawny legs would let him, grinning with glee at the prospect of his new project.

 

Pierce, on the other hand, was dumbfounded. He sat looking at the picture on his desk of his family, his wife and daughter with their wide eyes and beautifully similar smiles. They looked like the poster children for the American dream and for all intents and purposes, they were. He wouldn’t be sat here now, working for Hydra if it wasn’t for them, to keep them safe.

 

And then his thoughts drifted to her. The most courageous, forthright and extraordinary woman he had ever worked with, Peggy Carter. They had worked closely together when he began to climb his way up the ladder at S.H.I.E.L.D and he admired her a great amount. What would she say if she knew her biggest secret could potentially be Hydra’s latest weapon?

 

As far as Carter was aware, the only people who knew of her first pregnancy had all passed on, not even her S.H.I.E.L.D file mentions it. But the one Hydra has on her paints a different story.

 

Protected by Howard Stark, Carter was hidden away in England for 7 months after the war effort. Unfortunately, she went into labour too soon and the child was announced deceased upon arrival. Luckily for Hydra, they had someone on the inside who switched the infant’s body minutes after the birth, a plan they’d had in place since finding out about the pregnancy. According to Hydra files, Carter never suspected a thing. Pierce didn’t believe that.

 

This infant, this extraordinary child, was born to do great things. Her parentage alone was enough to strike fear into the heart of Hydra; if Carter or S.H.I.E.L.D found out, it would all be over.

 

He took the file from his desk and marched out of his office, to the parking lot. He got in his car, with the file on the passenger seat and drove as fast as he could home. He dashed to his living room, taking out a match and lighting the fireplace, watching as the embers began to grow. He waited until it was practically roaring, until the fire was so hot he could barely stand it and began to tear apart the file, page by page. He threw each piece in and watched as they burnt to a cinder.

 

Before long, he only had two pieces left in his hands.

 

Two pictures to be exact.

 

One of the infants mother, Peggy Carter.

 

And one of her father.

 

Steve Rogers.


	2. Chapter 2

13th July 1995

A child is born.

Lungs screaming for oxygen and tiny arms flailing, Subject D23 was finally resurrected.

Pierce felt the same amount of joy when he held her, as he did when his daughter was first born.

He knew, deep in his heart, she would always be his second. 

She was kept in the lab for a few days while tests were ran to determine her health and viability. It was discovered she had her father’s ability to heal fast, hence how she survived frozen for so long. It was still to be determined if she had his strength, but that would come in time with age, so Pierce thought. 

On her fifth day of life, Pierce ended Franklin’s using arsenic in his tea. His other lab assistants, whether they were aware of the project or not, were also replaced one by one. At 18 days old, the child was safely in her new home, hidden in the mountains of North Russia. Pierce had ensure that no one below his ranking in Hydra was aware of the child’s existence, any trace of her had been eradicated. 

There had been long discussions about how the child would be raised, the Red Room being the most popular on the list of potential homes. Pierce disagreed, he believed her to be too precious a cargo to become another spy or operative in Russia’s schemes and the “graduation” at the end would not benefit Hydra’s plans. He believed the child’s very existence needed to be hidden, if she was kept out of sight, no one would know to look for her. It was agreed that Hydra’s future was within her DNA and it was to be protected at all costs, until she came of age. 

The child would live a life segregated from any contact to the outside world, except for her guardian. Every detail of her life would be managed and monitored to Hydras standards; her nutrition, her education. They would be in control of everything, to make her the perfect host to the Asset’s offspring. 

Within her womb, held Hydra’s future.

***

Subject D23’s routine hadn’t changed in as long as she could remember. Every morning she would rise at 7 o’clock sharp, get weighed and measure by her Governess then sent outside for training. Her Governess would stand and watch as she ran 50 laps round their tiny cabin, whatever the weather and where they lived, it was usually snow. She ate the same breakfast, studied Hydra’s history until lunch and then was sent out to hunt in the afternoon. If she returned empty handed, she would not eat that night and would be punished. Sometimes, as punishment, she would have to run laps around the cabin without shoes until she collapsed or if she failed more than once, she was made to sleep outside naked in the cold. She learnt quickly to always come back with something.

Everyday the same, except for the 28th day of the month, those were the days she looked forward to and dreaded the most. It was the only time she came into contact with anyone other than her Governess; several doctors would come to give her a full body exam and check up. They would strip her down to nothing, prod and poke every part of her, then make her do hundreds of different exercises that completely exhausted her. They never spoke a word to her, just muttering to themselves and her Governess. But sometimes on these days, another visitor would come and he was her favourite person in the whole wide world.

Pierce tried to visit his pet project at least once a year, along side one of her monthly check ups. After the doctors were done with her, Subject D23 and Pierce would have dinner together discussing mundane things, usually the history of Hydra or the animals she hunted recently. He was the kindest person she had ever met and she cherished their dinners together. It was the only time she felt she could truly relax, where she could be herself without fear of punishment. He would make her laugh, make her smile and would treat her like a human being not a subject to be studied. He even gave her a name other than Subject D23.

“Dolores, I have a gift for you.” Her eyes lit up like a child seeing a Christmas tree for the first time.

“You have behaved exceptionally well for your Governess this month, not a single day of punishment. That deserves a reward!” From his satchel, he pulled out a book and handed it to her. The book was called Beauty and the Beast.

“This is a very special book, Dolores. It tells the story of how one woman’s love can save a man who has done terrible things.” 

She looked at him with those huge glossy blue eyes, almost filled to the brim with tears. A whispered “Thank you, Sir” was about all she could manage. In a world were she had nothing but fear of punishment, she had something.

***

It was on her 16th year, the pieces of her puzzled life fell together.

Eight days after Pierce and the doctors left, she woke with a strange ache in her lower abdomen. She had never experienced an illness before, only pain from over exercising or punishment. Initially, she put it down to over exerting herself while hunting, that was until she went to the bathroom and found the blood. She went straight to her Governess to report it, who instantly called for the doctors to return immediately. 

Her Governess had instructed her to continue with her routine as normal but told her nothing of why she was bleeding. She concluded that night, laid awake in the cold and the dark, that she must be dying. The bleeding and the ache had not stopped but had intensified instead. Her chest had began to ache too and for the first time in her life, all she wanted to do was cry. She did not sleep that night.

They arrived within 24 hours with Pierce in tow. This time he and her Governess stayed in the room while she was examined, the doctors paying a great deal of attention to the wound between her legs. For once, she was allowed to answer questions asked by them regarding her health and she did her best to not feel small and embarrassed. 

They frowned and muttered amongst themselves in a language she did not understand, making her feel even more nervous. Their stone cold faces gave nothing away, neither did Pierce who had spent the whole time standing with his back to her, quietly speaking to her Governess. She felt the swell of tears threaten to form in her eyes again as they had the night before, so she did something she knew she shouldn’t and she knew she would be punished for: she spoke without being spoken to.

“Am I dying?”

The room fell completely silent, all eyes and stone faces on her. She swore the entire forest surrounding them went silent in that moment. Pierce was the first to speak, asking everyone to leave the room so he and the subject could speak alone. He came and sat by the end of her bed, patting the space besides him. She threw the bedsheet over her naked body before joining him, she didn’t no why but something about him seeing her without clothing felt wrong.

“Dolores, what do you know of...” he paused for a moment, thinking about his words carefully, “Do you know why you’re here?”

Words seemed to get caught in her throat in that moment so she shook her head but kept her wide, frightened eyes on him. 

“Dolores, you are here because you're special, you're different and so very unique. Hydra have kept you here to keep you safe because there are bad people in this world who want what you have.” 

Pierce took her right hand in his and turned it palm upwards. He ran his finger from her wrist up towards bandage where all of her blood samples were usually taken from her. He gently removed the bandage, were the skin was completely healed underneath.

“Your blood and your body are one of a kind. You see, Dolores, when a normal person cuts themselves, like your Governess or I, it can take days or weeks for us to heal. There are clever and cruel people out there in the world, who would take you and drain every drop of that blood out of you to find out how they can replicate it so that their bodies could do the same. Do you understand?”

She felt terrified at that notion, so much so, it made her feel sick to her stomach. She thought back to a time when her Governess had cut herself in the kitchen and the bandage she wore on her thumb for over a week. She registered that it took her Governess much longer to heal than she would from the same injury, but she put it down to her being younger. 

Pierce grabbed onto her arm a little tighter and forced her to keep looking at his face, to make sure she took in every word that was said.

“Here, you are safe. I will make sure of that. Dolores, do you know what has happened to your body over the last few days?”

She shook her head again, still struggling to form words. Pierce finally broke his gaze away and for the first time, she saw disappointment on his face. She was convinced, she was about to receive her worst punishment yet if she had disappointed him.

“I thought your Governess would have at least told you this. It means you’re transitioning into a woman, you're no longer my... a little girl anymore.” 

He said the last part almost as a whisper, with a hint of sadness in his voice.

“You’re bleeding between your legs because it means your body is ready to start having children. Do you know how children are made?”

It was this question that finally made her break eye contact with Pierce. She had thought about it on several occasions but never dared to ask, she presumed Pierce has something to do with fathering her. Pierce took her continued silence as a no.

“Children are made by two parents, a mother and a father. These must be two people who love each other very much and would do anything for one another. These two people marry and then have children. You, Dolores, are destined to become the wife of one of Hydra’s greatest assets; The Winter Soldier.”

Pierce had told her so many stories about the great warrior, it was one of the aspects of their dinners together that she enjoyed the most. She loved to hear about his missions and how he had helped bring Hydra to greatness. When out hunting, she would sometimes pretend she was the Soldier, and think about how he would succeed if this was his mission. She couldn’t believe, after all this time, she was meant to be the one stood besides him and as his wife no less.

“You had us worried that this day might not come, but now that it has...” Pierce ran his fingers through a strand of her hair, admiring her face, taking in all of her features, “My, how you have grown.”

She looked at Pierce, with a huge smile on her face, “I look forward to meeting him. I will be a good wife to him, I promise.”

“And do you promise to give him lots of children too? He wishes to be a father very much.”

She had never been around children before, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that or how they would make them together. But if it was what the Winter Soldier wanted...

“I promise. I’ll give him as many children as he likes. I will do whatever is asked of me.”

“Good girl, Dolores.” Pierce embraced his prodigy. Finally, after years of planning, it would all soon pay off and Hydra would have its children. After the serum they had stolen from Howard Stark had failed them, she was their only hope.

“Hail Hydra.” He whispered into her golden locks.

_“Hail Hydra.”_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, things get a little graphic in this next chapter as Dolores finally meets her Soldier for the purpose she was intended too.

17th April 2014

 

It was almost three years before Subject D23 met her husband. He had sustained a severe injury on his last mission and needed the additional time in cryogenic freezing to heal, although she didn’t know that. She knew very little about him other than his missions and getting any information out of Pierce was incredibly difficult.

 

After the day she grew into womanhood, Dolores’ daily routine started to change. Her Governess was replaced with another, something not uncommon as she had had several different ones over the years. Instead of reading books on Hydra propaganda, this Governess instead taught her how to be a woman and a wife to the Soldier.

 

When the time came for them to finally meet, she didn’t realised it would mean leaving her home behind.

 

“Governess, may I speak freely?” She always had to ask permission or she would receive punishment for speaking out of turn. Her Governess nodded but didn’t look up from the book she was reading.

 

“Once my husband... the Soldier and I have children, will we return here?” She had never left the woods surrounding the cabin before and in all honesty, what she had heard about the world out there frightened her.

 

“Once you leave this place, you will never return again. You will do as Hydra asks of you with grace and dignity or you will be punished. And the punishments they give will make mine seem like child’s play.”

 

Disobedience was out of the question. She would be good and do what was asked of her. She wouldn’t let her husband down.

 

***

 

Dolores’ legs began to tremble with every footstep. The moment she had waited so long for was finally here. Waves of nerves and nausea had been constantly washing over her since leaving cabin for the final time.

 

Pierce’s pace quickened; after twenty years in the making, his plans were finally coming together. The Captain’s rise from the dead had put a spanner in the works for Hydra, so this need to be executed and quickly.

 

As they reached the end of what felt like a maze of grey corridors, they stopped outside a huge metal door. Pierce turned and gave his prized possession and obsession one final look over.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

She couldn’t answer, she was so nervous but offered him a slight nod. He gave her a reassuring smile before placing his hand on the padlock and opening the door.

 

The door opened painfully slowly and there in the centre of the room was the Soldier, sat on a steel chair. He rose as Pierce entered, never taking his eyes from him, silently waiting for his next command.

 

“At ease Soldier.” The Asset relaxed his stance ever so slightly at Pierce’s order, “I’d like to introduce you to your new mission. This is Subject D23. Your wife. I believe you’ve read her file?”

 

The Soldier stayed mute but finally glanced in Dolores’ direction. His face was covered by a mask, making it impossible to read his initial reaction to her. His frosted blue eyes where the only parts visible; they barely held life inside of them, just hollowed out windows to a broken soul.

 

“Then you know what must be done.” The Soldier finally gave a nod to that. Satisfied, Pierce turned and left without even a glance back in her direction.

 

She let Pierce’s words sink in. Was that all she was? Just another one of the Soldier’s missions? She always thought the Soldier wanted children, not that he was instructed to have them. Pierce had called her Subject, he never called her that, not even in the company of other people. Dolores was truly frightened.

 

The slam and bolt of the door made her jump, but she didn’t take her eyes off the man in front of her. He towered over her by at least a foot, with long, dark hair cascading to his shoulders. He looked menacing.

 

They eyed each other up for what felt like an eternity before he made the first move. He took a step to his right, removing his mask and placing it in a cabinet along one of the walls. It was only then that Dolores took a good look at her surroundings. The room was was about the size of the one she had back at the cabin but a lot more sparse. Everything was the same shade of grey as the rest of the building; the cabinet, the small desk, the sink, toilet and shower in the corner of the room. Then she spotted the double bed. Steel framed, bolted to the floor. This was be be her domain now. This was what her whole life came too.

 

“Remove your clothes.” He spoke in thick Russian, his voice hoarse. She didn’t dare disobey him. She’d heard the stories, she knew what he was capable of. Disobedience was not an option, not with Hydra.

 

She began to remove her plain, grey shirt and trousers as he started to strip himself of his armour. He must have deemed her non threatening as he carefully removed each item and placed them on the steel chair neatly folded, all without looking at her.

 

As he got to his underwear, Dolores took stock on the man in front of her, without his armour. His body was like nothing she had ever seen before, not that she had seen a man without his clothes in person. His lean, muscular frame was littered in scars, his left arm baring the worst of them. The metal arm protruded out from his skin looked so unnatural that Dolores couldn’t help but gravitate towards it. Without thinking, she ran her fingers along the joint. He froze, confused by the action and the tenderness of her touch, something he hadn’t felt in a long time. He let the sensation take over for a split second before he remembered his mission and stepped away from her.

 

“Lie on the bed.” He instructed.

 

Dolores was still wearing her underwear but she did as she was told. The closer she got to the bed, the more nervous she became. Every step shaky, every breath harder to take. She laid on her back and with in seconds, he joined her on the bed completely naked. The quickness of his actions frightened her so she put her hand on his chest to stop him.

 

“First, before you take me... Will you kiss me, husband?”

 

His face was emotionless yet still one of the most beautiful she had ever seen. A sharp jawline covered in a layer of stubble, full lips and those eyes. Oh how she wanted to be the one that brought life back into them.

 

Husbands should kiss their wives or at least that’s what she had understood of marriage. She wasn’t sure what love was or what it felt like, only what she’d read in books. She thought she loved Pierce but like a daughter loves her father. She felt something stir inside of her when she looked at the Soldier. Was that love?

 

The Soldier had froze, unsure if he was permitted to follow her orders. He understood what was asked of him, but there had been no mention of kissing.

 

_”For all intents and purposes, she believes she is your wife. Your mission is to impregnate her by the end of the week. That means to have intercourse with her as many times as you can. Do you understand what intercourse is?”_

 

Her hand reached up to his face from his chest and her fingers ran along his jaw. He physically shivered at the sensation, closing his eyes at the tenderness of it.

 

He remembered something. This wasn’t the first time someone had touched him like that.

 

He remembered soft skin, a giggle from a pretty mouth just like hers. He remembered asking someone to dance but not in Russian, in English.

 

Then she kissed him.

 

It caught the Soldier off guard but he didn’t react. Inside, he felt fireworks go off. His mind struggling to process what was happening to him. His body was reacting how it should, doing what it was supposed to for this mission, what he didn’t expect was to enjoy it. He felt emotions he hadn’t felt in over seventy years and it was all so so much.

 

Dolores pulled back, unsure if he liked the kiss or not. She thought she’d done it right but since he didn’t react she wasn’t so sure. He just froze, crouched over her like a stone. Then she looked between his legs and saw he was solid like her Governess told her he should be and started to think maybe she did.

 

She began to wriggle her underwear off and the motion seemed to bring the Soldier back to life. He grabbed them with his metal hand and tore them from her body, making her jump slightly. Within seconds he was on top of her, mounting her and then inside her. The initial pain caused her to call out and the Soldier froze once again.

 

_“No harm is to come to her, do you understand? She is under your protection and you must ensure her safety with your life.”_

 

Pierce’s words rang through his head when he heard her cries. He looked down and saw a tear in her eye. He had caused that. Had he failed his mission already?

 

Then she looked at him, putting her hand on his cheek again and nodded.

 

“Go on.” She whispered.

 

And so he did.

 

What began as painful soon became more bearable for her. She grabbed at the steel frame of the bed with one hand and used the other to cling to his back. He kept his head buried in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent and every sensation he was feeling at that time. He could feel neurones firing in his brain that had laid dormant for years. This experience was so new yet so familiar to him. He couldn’t remember ever being like this with a woman before but he knew at some point he had.

 

As he felt pleasure build inside of him, he sat up to look at the woman beneath him. She was barely a woman at that, perhaps in her early twenties at best. Her waves of golden locks fanned out over the pillow case, her skin was flushed and her lips were like beautiful rose buds that he wanted nothing more than to kiss over and over again. And then there were her eyes. He swore he had seen them before but not on her.

 

Pleasure overcame him suddenly and he poured himself inside of her.

 

He stayed towering over her for a few moments to get his breath back while clinging to the steel frame of the bed. He looked down at her once again, trying to comprehend all the emotions running through him. She was smiling yet still had tears in her eyes. She sat up to kiss him again but he couldn’t take her touch any longer, it was all too much.

 

The Soldier got up, storming over to the shower and turning it on as hot as it would go, letting the heat burn his skin. Pain, pain he understood. It brought him back down from what ever high he had just been on and helped him realign his senses. She was just a mission, nothing more. She would call him husband and he would get the job done before being sent on another mission somewhere else. He couldn’t let her cloud his judgement because before long, she would just be another figment in his mind, locked in a vault he had know access too.

 

Dolores sat on the bed with the sheet wrapped round her. She watched him shower without even a glance back in her direction. She wasn’t sure what she expected, of course he wouldn’t be the type to holder her afterwards but... She didn’t no what to expect in all honesty.

 

She walked to the tiny cubicle that held a toilet and a basin and washed her face and body. Between her legs ached with every step but she held her head high and tried not to let the pain show, keeping her limping to a minimum.

 

When she had finished, she notice the Soldier stood in the middle of the room naked and waiting for her; water dripping from his damp head as he watched her. She pulled the sheet a little tighter around herself but she knew it wouldn’t be covering her much longer as the stiffness had returned between his legs.

 

“Again?” She mumbled, hoping she would get more of a reprieve.

 

He just nodded and followed her to the bed.

 

***

 

“Damn, she has really taken a pounding!”

 

“She was a virgin too when he first got her.”

 

“Jesus! Certainly isn’t now.”

 

Pierce listened to the guards through the door and the disgusting things they were saying about his pride and joy, before entering the room. He would fire them later but right now he needed to know how she was getting along.

 

“Gentlemen.” He entered the room swiftly, watching as they all sat bolt up right in his presents, “What’s the status on the Assets mission?”

 

“5 times last night, they slept for six hours before he woke her and started all over again. This is the 3rd time this morning. I’d be amazed if she wasn’t pregnant by the end of the week.”

 

Pierce caught a glimpse of them on the screen together, the Soldier riding her from behind. He couldn’t bare to look any further.

 

“When he’s done with her this time, pull him out. We don’t want to exhaust the pair of them.”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“He can go back in after his mission tonight.” Pierce turned to the only scientist in the room, “How many more days of ovulation does she have left?”

 

“Two after today.”

 

“Fine. After his mission today, he can go back in with her until Friday. We’ll extract him and put him back on ice. If it isn’t successful, we’ll pull him out again next month.”

 

Pierce swiftly exited the room, hoping this month would be the month.


	4. Chapter 4

The first time he left her, he forgot who she was.

Several days after they first met, the Soldier was taken away and she didn’t see him for several weeks after that. She was driving herself crazy locked in that room all alone. She wanted to go outside and see the sunlight so badly. She missed having the breeze running through her hair, the smell of the forest after rain fall and being surrounded by nature. She wanted nothing more than to go out and hunt for her husband, to show him that she could do more than lie on her back. But she was never brave enough to ask, she feared the repercussions too much. 

Before being taken from her, things between them had started to change. It was subtle; to anyone watching them, they probably wouldn’t notice a thing but they both felt it. He was gentler, their lovemaking wasn’t so rash and he had a tenderness about him. He kept looking at her, just small glances that made her breath catch in her throat.

Occasionally, in the dead of night when Hydra thought they were sleeping, she would hold his hand under the blankets and he would stroke her palm in return. But as soon as they made a connection, formed a bond or something that resembled a relationship together, Hydra took him away for weeks on end and he would returned not remembering her. The tenderness and small touches gone, only to return over time.

She knew they weren’t happy with her either for not being pregnant yet, something she was starting to believe was probably a good thing. She had been lead to believe it was the Soldier who wanted children with her, but the more time she spent with him, the more she realised they were both just pawns in a game Hydra were playing. She had seen nothing of Pierce either. The only person she could truly trust was her Soldier. 

But it didn’t take long for her to find out how truly cruel they could be.

She heard the door unlock and sprung to her feet, taking her usual spot in the centre of the room whenever someone entered. Instead of being greeted by a doctor, it was instead several members of the Soldier’s task force, carrying him into the room and laying him on the bed. Each and every one of them had an injury of some sort but it was her Soldier that suffered the worst.

She jumped to his side, running her fingers through his tattered locks. She turned and looked to his second in command, Rumlow, who she’d met on several occasions and wasn’t very fond of. He had a tendency to look her up and down like she was a piece of meat when her Soldier wasn’t looking. 

“What happened?” She managed in the little English she knew.

“None of your concern, just make sure he doesn’t die through out the night.” Rumlow replied in her native tongue before they all swiftly exited the room.

She had never seen her Soldier look so bad. They had done a terrible job of patching him up with random bandages all over his flesh arm and torso. She had learnt to patch herself up a couple of times over the years, especially with one particular Governess who liked to crack a whip when she was disobedient. She went to the cabinet under the sink and got the small first aid kit and towels and started running hot water in the basin. 

Her Soldier was coming in and out of consciousness, mumbling things to himself in both English and Russian, things that weren’t making any sense to her.

“I knew hhhim...”

“Who did you know, my love?” She whispered to him as she removed a blood soaked bandage from his arm. If they hadn’t bothered to patch him up properly, then they probably didn’t have anyone watching them. This was one of the first times they were truly alone.

“The man on the bridge... he was my mission... I cccan’t... I can’t rrremember.”

“Ssshh, my love. Get some rest.”

“He had your... he had your eyes...” 

Dolores paused when he said that. What did that even mean? Could this man on the bridge be like her and her Soldier? Could he be special too?

She managed to get him sat upright while looking at the wound on his side. Broken ribs by what she could tell, not a lot she could do other than strap them up. They sat in silence for a few moments while she tended to him before asking something she had been thinking about since before they had even met.

“What’s your secret name?” She whispered as she pulled the bandage tighter round his waist.

“Mmm.. my what?” 

“You know, your secret name. The one no one knows you’re called. Only you and someone special?”

He saw the glimpse of a memory once again. A jazz band was playing something fast, making him want to dance with a pretty blonde, no! It was a red head this time. The red head softly asked, _‘what’s your name, sugar?’_ and he remembered tipping his hat to her, saying...

“Jjj... James Bbbb...” Came out from between his lips before he could stop himself.

“Hello James, I’m Dolores. I’m your wife.”

And then he smiled.

It was small and in the corner of his mouth, but it was there and beautiful. Dolores knew in that moment what it was to love. Because she really did love him, even if he couldn’t remember her most of the time.

Then a second later, he finally passed out. Dolores continued to check his injuries, some of the cuts on his knuckles and bruises were already showing signs of healing, something they both shared in common. 

Then it hit her. 

Was this what they wanted? Was this why they wanted them to have a child?

_“Your blood and your body are one of a kind.”_

She shivered, tried to tell herself that it would be for the greater good. That they should pass on their gifts and if their child was to take over in its father’s footsteps then so be it. But something didn’t quite sit right with her at that thought.

Dolores spent the rest of the night sat watching over her Soldier while he slept and thinking about the man on the bridge.

***

Dolores woke up in the double bed confused as to how she’d got there. She didn’t remember getting into it, only being sat on the chair besides it while watching her Soldier sleep. As she opened her eyes, she caught him watching her while he was getting dressed. 

He looked away seconds after their eyes met, afraid that anymore contact than that would cause them to take him away from her again. He didn’t like being away from her. Outside of this room there was only pain, mission after mission and foggy memories. Whenever he saw her face, memories would start to come back to him, things like what it felt like to touch her skin and be embraced in her arms. She made him feel better, made him forget and remember all at once.

As she sat up, the door to their room opened and in came a man she hadn’t seen in a very long time. Her and her husband stood to attention, side by side.

“Eight weeks and still nothing, you’ve disappointed me.” Pierce’s words were cold and cut through her like a knife. She didn’t have to look at him to know that he was speaking to her, “The Asset has not one but two very important missions he needs to finish. To complete both, you will have to come with him and stay in a secure unit until it’s done. Hopefully, he can get both missions completed swiftly without disappointing me this time. Come along.”

Dolores let her husband go first, as she followed behind with her head hung low. She had never felt so small as what she did in that moment. Not once in her life, not ever, had she disappointed Pierce. She didn’t understand what more she could do. Was it because she didn’t really want it? Was her body rejecting the idea and that’s why a baby wouldn’t take? She would rather go through any amount of physical punishment than be dressed down like that again.

The never ending tunnels and corridors finally came to an abrupt end as they entered a hanger bay. Her Soldier was led towards a fighter jet but just as she was about to follow, she was tightly grabbed by the arm and led in the opposite direction. She caught one last fleeting glimpse of him before she was cuffed and placed into the back seat of a blacked out 4x4, with four body guards to protect her. They placed a cloth bag over her head before driving for 5 hours until they reached a safe house on the outskirts of DC. There she would wait for her husband.

She saw nothing of the house or surrounding area that Hydra had occupied. She had no idea where she was, it was only when she got into the basement that they removed the mask from her face. She’d hoped to have a glimpse of sunlight but alas, it was not meant to be. She missed the trees and the open air that came with the cabin in Russia. In her dreams, she would take her husband there and they would live a happy life together surrounded by children and they would both smile everyday. 

The basement she was in was as far from the cabin as she could imagine. There were no windows, only a set of wooden stairs that led up to a door. She could hear the men on the other side of it, talking amongst themselves. The only light came from a bulb that flickered above her and the only furniture was a damp, mouldy sofa for her to lay on. How she hoped her husband wouldn’t be away too long.

***

The sound of frantic feet dancing across the floor above her abruptly woke Dolores up. She could hear her minders in a state of panic, barking at one another in English. Whatever was occurring sounded pretty serious. She couldn’t understand much of their conversation other than one man repeatedly asking ‘what do we do?’ while someone was clearly pacing the floor.

She watched as dust fell from the roof above her and glistened in the dim light. What could possibly make them panic in such a way? Hydra had control over every little thing, she had never see anyone act like that, unless they had failed a mission? Had something happened to her Soldier?

She heard the bolt on the door to the basement unlock and daylight flooded the room. The man at the door threw her a bottle of water before announcing that someone would be coming for her shortly. She asked him about her Soldier to which she got no reply. The man looked shaken and nervous, which concerned her. He looked like how she felt when Pierce had scolded her. 

Something was not right.

The door was bolted shut once more and she was left alone again. But instead of the muffled voices she was used to hearing above her, all was silent. She heard their boots walk to the other end of the room and out of the safe house. Then she heard the engine of a car and panic struck her. They had left her completely alone. 

_No. They wouldn’t._

_Would they?_

Dolores ran up the stair to the door and put her ear to it. Complete silence. She knocked and tried the knob, hoping maybe someone was in another room but nothing happened. She returned to the rotten sofa she was using as a bed. He wouldn’t leave her, not her Soldier.

So she sat and waited.

Hours went by and not a single sound came from above her. She rationed her water, just in case but now she was starting to get hungry. The more time went one, the more she feared for him. 

The crack of light coming from under the door had faded and night had set in. Her Soldier should have been back by now. She hoped the man on the bridge hadn’t found him. 

Just as her eyes were beginning to close, she heard it. Rustling foot steps outside, the creak of the front door. Then more foot steps, someone with a limp favouring their right leg and heading towards the basement. 

Wood collided with metal, as the door above her took a beating. Once, twice and then it gave way. It’s fragments cascaded at her feet but she didn’t care because her beloved Soldier was the one behind it. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her up the flight of stair and into his arms. She held him tight, catching him before he fell to the ground. He had taken a beating once again but this time it was much worse.

He was soaked to the bone, holding his flesh arm to his torso and covered in mud and blood. He put his metal arm around her shoulders to keep himself steady until she could get him sat in a chair. He was shaking, clearly in shock. She took a good look at him to assess the damage. His flesh shoulder was dislocated, several more of his ribs looked like they were broke or fractured again and his metal arm was sporting several dents. That would have to wait, the flesh was more important than the metal.

She rummaged through the cupboards of the little kitchen to try and find anything to help him. She found towels and a sewing kit which would just have to do. She got him a drink and started to wash as much of the blood and mud from him as possible. He looked at her with wide, fearful eyes.

“We have to leave.”

“Are we going back to the base?”

“There is no base anymore, Dolores.”

She looked into his eyes. It might have only been the day before that she told him her name but it sounded so unusual coming from him, it was something she could get used too. 

But she was confused too. If they weren’t going back to the base, then where would they go?

“We have to leave now.”

“I don’t understand... they said someone would be coming for us? Pierce...”

“Pierce is dead. Hydra has been exposed. If we go now, we can be free, Dolores.”

She didn’t understand, she couldn’t. Pierce, the one man who had always been there, who made her smile and gave her her name, was no more. She was struggling to understand, what happens now? Who do they take orders from?

Her Soldier put his metal hand on her cheek and brought her thoughts back to him. 

“I’m going to take care of both of us, Dolores, I promise. But first, I need you to help put my shoulder back into place.” 

She took a moment before getting up and placing one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm. She pulled the arm back until it made a clicking noise and she felt the joint roll back into place. He grunted but thanked her none the less.

The Soldier got to his feet and started rummaging through the kitchen cupboards, finding a bag and filling it with what he could find. He turned to look at Dolores, who was stood motionless by the kitchen table. He took her hand and stroked her palm like they would in secret. 

“Come on, we have to get out of these clothes and get as far away from here as possible.”

He led her out of the kitchen into a passage way and she helped him up a flight of stairs. They entered a bedroom where he started pulling open draws and cupboards, filling the bag as he went. Dolores looked around and couldn’t understand any of it. This was nothing like any base or Hydra facility she had ever been in. It was similar to the cabin but had more to it. There was colour on the walls, swirling patterns printed on paper, the bed had soft sheets and there was pictures of happy people and smiling faces all over the room behind glass frames. 

The Soldier threw something her way as she looked at a picture of a couple kissing on the bedside table. They looked so happy, so in love. She didn’t look at what he had given her until he put both his hands on her arms and gently shook her back to reality.

“I need you to put these on, Dolores.”

He was already stripping out of his uniform, taking his time with the jacket as he was struggling to move with the broken rips. She grabbed the back of it, helping him take it off and into a pale plaid shirt and jeans. She started to take off her usually attire of plain grey trousers and matching top and put on the pretty sky blue dress he had gave her. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and couldn’t believe how different she looked. She had never worn a colour before let alone a dress.

Her Soldier took her hand once again and led her back down the stairs and outside. Fresh air, it felt glorious. She looked up at the night sky and saw stars for the first time in months. 

He carried on guiding her towards a truck. It wasn’t anything like what she had traveled in before. This was a red Chevrolet pick up with dents and scrapes and years of misuse on it. She wondered if it belonged to the couple in all the pictures as it certainly wasn’t Hydras.

Her Soldier checked under the trucks wheel before getting them both in side and starting it up.

“They haven’t got a tracer on this, but we’ll still have to get a different one before we leave the state.”

She didn’t really understand what he meant and was starting to think that it would a regular occurrence. She turned and took one last look at the beautiful house behind them. It reminder her of the cabin but was far more luxurious than that. She knew life would never be the same for them now.

***

“On your left.” Steve mumbled when he saw Sam sat beside him. His body ached from head to toe and for the first time since taking the serum, he had a headache. He saw Sam get up from the chair besides him and walk to the door.

“My company that bad, huh?” He joked.

“Oh yeah definitely, but I’m not the only one who’s been waiting for you to wake up.” Sam was only gone for a moment before he returned with Natasha and a nurse in tow. The nurse checked his vitals and looked him over. Natasha stood in the corner of the room and stayed uncharacteristically quiet.

“So you want to fill me in on what’s going on?” Steve mumbled once the nurse had left.

“You took a pretty good beating Steve. A lots happened in the two days you were out.” Natasha was hiding something she was reluctant to tell him. She was a good liar, but Steve knew her tells. Something was up.

“It’s Bucky isn’t it? Is he... did he...” 

“Barnes has gone AWOL. Last thing anyone saw of him was when he pulled you out of the wreckage.” Sam replied.

Steve felt a huge sense of relief. Bucky wasn’t dead, just missing. Steve wasn’t alone in this new world anymore, “Then what is it then?”

Both Sam and Natasha went quiet, both looking at each other trying to determined who would give him the news. 

“For God Sake, tell me already! What is this about?” Steve was getting frustrated with the pair of them and his headache was slowly getting worse.

“It’s about you Steve. I want you to know when I released all of the Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D data onto the web, this wasn’t with it. No one knows about this yet but give it time...” Natasha mumbled, looking at Sam for help.

“Steve, there was a file Hydra had on you and Peggy Carter. I don’t know whether she told you this or even how she managed to keep this secret for so long. Peggy had a child, a daughter, 7 months after you crashed the plane. She was stillborn, or so everyone thought.” Sam paused for a moment to give Steve chance to take it all in, “Hydra stole her and froze her body, wanting to use her blood in the hope they could replicate your serum.”

“She was pregnant?” Steve was absolutely horrified. He had a daughter and Peggy had never once mentioned it when he visited her, “Oh God, they brought her back to life, didn’t they?”

“She didn’t die.” Natasha chimed in, her eyes held unshed tears in them, scaring Steve even more, “The serum had kept her alive, like it did you. They hadn’t realised until Pierce ordered them to unfreeze her twenty years ago.”

“Twenty years... and no one knew?” Steve’s headache had started to get so much worse. Sam and Natasha were still looking sheepish, there was more to this, “What else?”

“Look man, why don’t you rest and take some time to process this. Natasha and I can fill you in on the rest later.”

“Tell me, what the hell have Hydra been doing to my daughter for the last twenty years!” Steve was getting angry now. If Pierce wasn’t already dead, he would have climbed out of bed and ended him himself.

“They... they erm...” Natasha composed herself before continuing, “They had her locked away in a safe house in Russia. According to the file that’s the only language she speaks, although she’s picked up some English. They have been waiting for her to come of age to...”

Natasha couldn’t do it, she knew how Steve would react and she couldn’t blame him. She would feel just the same if she was in his shoes.

“They wanted her and Barnes to breed more super soldiers. They figured since they couldn’t replicate the serum themselves they would do it through them.” Sam finished what Natasha was trying to say.

Steve was livid. He sat up and started pulling at the wires and tubes connected to his body. Sam tried to stop him but Steve just pushed him away.

“Where is she? Where are they both?” Steve barked through clenched teeth.

“We don’t know. We only found the file when we raided Pierce’s office. He only had a paper version, it was kept that secretive. We interrogated some of the men closest to Pierce and most of them didn’t have a clue, except for one. He told us about a safe house outside of DC, some unfortunate couples farm they raided. By the time we got there, they were gone. All that was left was Bucky’s uniform. They’d taken a pick up truck but abandoned it before leaving the state. We don’t know where they’ve gone after that.”

Steve felt so weary all of a sudden. The events of the last few days, finding Bucky was alive, bringing down Hydra and now this, was taking its toll on him physically and mentally. He sat on the edge of the bed taking deep breaths to stop himself from taking it out on the hospital wall.

“Sam, I need you out there looking for her for me. I can’t do it until I’m fully healed so I need you to get a head start. Natasha, can you make sure none of this gets out?”

They both nodded and watched as he got himself back into the bed. He couldn’t help anyone in the state he was in, he needed to heal first. It would have been a different matter if they had been with Hydra still, but he knew Bucky would keep them safe.

Before leaving the room, Natasha pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Steve.

“I’m not giving you her file, no father needs to read that. But this was in it. She has your eyes.”

It was a Polaroid picture of a girl in her later teens, with wavy, long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She had Peggy’s strong cheekbones and full lips. There was no doubting it, she was definitely his daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is just a little update compared with the last one as our two love bird try to find their way in this new world. Enjoy!

This world.

She had no idea.

It was bright and loud and filled with so many people.

Before leaving DC, James (he was no longer the Soldier to her) took Dolores to something called a museum in the hope of finding out more about themselves. Now that they were free, James told her everything he could remember from her file. Everything Pierce had told her had been a lie. She had been stolen from her mother at birth, kept frozen for half a century and then awakened so her and James could make more Soldiers like him. Soldiers that would have been brainwashed and forced to do wicked things too.

It was at this museum that she saw her parents for the first time. 

The Smithsonian Institute had an exhibition on about the life of Steve Rogers aka Captain America who she’d discovered was her father. The man on the bridge and the Soldier’s mission, had the same eyes because they were of the same blood. She scrutinised every picture as they walked around, trying to see what else this man had given her besides his serum and eyes. It was only when they went into a room playing a short film, did she truly find herself. 

The film started with a montage of a younger James stood side by side with her father. He looked so different, so happy, even in the middle of a war zone. His smile reached his eyes like she imagined they would and she hoped she could make him smile like that again, one day. When a voice over the footage began talking about his supposed death, James held her hand a little tighter, drawing circles with his fingers more frequently. Then the scene cut to a lady and James froze.

The woman looked to be in her fifties, with whisks of grey at her brunette roots. She spoke with a strong British accent and held a stiff upper lip when speaking about Dolores’ father. She knew this had to be her mother. The resemblance between them was uncanny. The same lips and nose, same strong cheekbones, just a different set of eyes.

James saw the start of a tear role down Dolores cheek and decided it was best for both of them to leave. He had told her everything he could remember from her file, the museum was the next logical step for both of them to learn more about themselves. What he didn’t expect was to see the video of Peggy. It was hard for him to watch it, let alone Dolores. 

James was struggling. Now that he was out of Hydra’s clutches, he wasn’t the Winter Soldier anymore. Pieces of his life before all this were coming back to him but he didn’t feel like that man anymore either. He thought long and hard about what to do next and especially what to do with Dolores. He knew it was selfish of him to want her to stay by his side but she made him feel complete. He tried to persuade her she was better off with Steve but she shot down any discussion of them going their separate ways. She had vowed to be a good wife to him and she meant it. 

_“I’m not leaving you, James.”_

_“You’d be better off with out me. Steve can take care of you, he can give you a better, safer life than I can.”_

_“But then I won’t be with you. So no, I follow you James.”_

James shook his head at her stubbornness and had to weigh up his options. Hydra was in chaos, currently going underground to try and regroup. They would come for them both eventually but they wouldn’t be a priority just yet. Dolores might be safer with Steve but it was out of the question for him; he trusted him, just not the people he surrounded himself with. He had to get him and Dolores out of the country, and fast. 

After the museum, they moved from one state to another with some cash James had found at the farm in DC. He dyed Dolores hair dark brown and started tucking his under a cap. But Dolores was struggling with her new found freedom. There was so much about this world that was new to her; the technology, the people. Hydra had shielded her from so much, it was overwhelming at times. 

In the beginning, they hid in derelict buildings and squatted in empty apartments, never staying anywhere longer than a few nights. James didn’t like to leave Dolores alone but some nights he had to to find them something to eat or organise safe passage to the next city. The outside world was a little overwhelming to her and she preferred staying in their safe place.

Once James managed to acquire them passports, they made their way a cross to Europe, travelling from country to country, city to city, not staying anywhere for longer than a week at a time. He would go out to work, finding odd jobs that paid cash in hand and she would stay in their bedsit or hostel and try to catch up with the world they lived in. They kept themselves to themselves, going unnoticed. James made them avoid Russia, much to Dolores disappointment. 

_“I know it feels like home, but Russia isn’t safe for us Dottie. Maybe one day we’ll go back but right now we must keep moving to stay safe.”_

She liked it when he called her Dottie. 

Although it was hard, she liked a lot about the life they had. She liked learning new things whether it be the language of the country they were in or cooking James something new for dinner when he got in from work. She liked hearing about his day and doing things that other normal couples do. She liked it when he held her hand in the street and that they could be together freely. And to Dolores’ delight, she finally made him smile that gorgeous smile for her.

It happened the first time they made love on their own terms. They had been travelling for two months and had decided to finally settle down in a remote village in the south of Austria. They had done nothing more than hold hands since James had freed them both and Dolores was craving his affection. 

She began to wonder if he didn’t want her in that way anymore. She certainly didn’t want a baby while they were on the run but she liked it when he was close to her and their bodies were one. 

James had been worked on the fields all day for a farmer who had kindly given him a job and an old dilapidated cottage on the edge of his land for them to stay in. On his return, Dolores had cooked dinner and was wearing the blue dress he had given her when they first fled Hydra.

“How was your day, husband?” She asked as she set a bowl of stew down on the table.

“You haven’t called me that in awhile.” James replied while taking a seat, a little taken aback by her remark. 

According to their passports and to the knowledge of James’ most recent employer, they were newly weds trying to make a life together. But in privacy, James was frightened to take it any further than holding her hand. He felt like he had been forced on her and didn’t want her to feel taken advantage of anymore, even though he missed the closeness dearly.

“Are we still that, James? Are you still my husband now or should I stop calling you that?” There was a hint of sadness in her voice as she spoke.

“We can be whatever we want to be, Dottie. We’re free now. So you can call me that if you want but you don’t have to anymore if you don’t.”

“But what do you want James?” 

The question took him by surprise. Hydra had never given him choices, only commands that he had to fulfil or he would be punished. The concept of free will was still very new to him. All he knew was that in the seventy years he’d been brainwashed, she was the only thing he could ever remember wanting. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he didn’t want to loose her, not yet. 

“I want you.” 

It was barely above a whisper but it was all she needed to hear.

She stood from her chair, knocking it backwards and climbed on to his knee. She kissed him with everything she had to give, needing to feel him. He held her close, running his flesh fingers through her hair. He lifted her with ease while he moved them both to the makeshift bed she had made on the floor. He wanted to take his time with her and worship her in all the ways he wished he could have before. He gently started to unbutton the front of her dress while kissing her jawline, then slowly working his way down her neck.

“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, “I love you, Dottie.”

Dolores felt her heart skip a beat.

No one had ever told her that before.

“I love you too.”

And that was when he smiled and his gorgeous eyes got their light back.

They made love that night in ways Dolores couldn’t have even began to imagine. He touched her in ways that he hadn’t and wouldn’t have been allowed to before and she experienced things she didn’t know were possible. Dolores truly knew what it was to make love after that night.

But their time on the farm was short lived. A man had came to the village nearby, asking questions about a young couple who might be new to the area. Once the farmer got wind of this, he forced them to leave, wanting no trouble to come to his door. James and Dolores were gone within the hour and out of the country before daybreak. 

Their dream of living a simple life together was becoming more difficult than they realised. They learnt that small towns and villages talked, the people noticed newcomers which was exactly what they didn’t want. They had to stick to big cities, places where two people could easily get lost in a crowd. But they were both acutely aware that their time together would not last.

They were traveling through Poland when Sokovia was attacked. Dolores thought for sure that their time together was over then.

“They are saying on the news that is was a robot built by that Stark man. You don’t think... it wasn’t meant to find us? We passed through that city just last month...”

“No, Steve wouldn’t have agreed to what ever that was. I don’t think that was meant for us, I think it’s an experiment gone wrong or something.”

“I see now why you don’t trust his friends.”

James just nodded at that. The next day, he got them on the first boat to Finland.


	6. Chapter 6

Dolores and James were having a rare day off together. They had lived in the city of Bucharest, Romania for almost three months now. All whispers of Hydra or Steve hunting them had gone quiet so they took a risk and decided to settle down for a little while. James had found work as a night guard for a factory a few blocks from their pocky apartment and Dolores had taken a couple of shifts in a local book store and let the brown grow out of her hair. James would always stay up and walk her to work and collect her when she finished. He didn’t sleep as much as she would have liked him to but the little sleep he did get was always plagued with nightmares. A night job was perfect for him.

James woke up before she did so he decided to sneak out and surprise her with breakfast. She woke up to the sound of him closing the door of their flat and found a note laid on his pillow next to her, saying he wouldn’t be long. They had decided to travel into the centre of the city later that day to pick up some new pieces of furniture, since the apartment was practically sparse and they finally had a little bit of money to spare. Money was still a new concept to Dolores, she hated how the world functioned around it.

Dolores got up and decided to get herself ready for James’ return, picking out a soft pink dress to wear. Now that she had free reign on her wardrobe, she only ever wore dresses or skirts. She was still getting changed in the bathroom when she heard the front door open. She could hear a pair of footsteps come into the apartment that were far too heavy to belong to James’. She grabbed the pocket knife he had given her from the sink and tiptoed to the door, listening through it intently.

The footsteps went straight to her kitchenette as she heard a familiar floor board squeak. She could hear a muffled voice coming through a receiver, possible the other end of a headset or phone but she couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. It confused her as to why they hadn’t checked the bathroom as it was the only other room in their apartment. She then realised who it must be behind the door.

Dolores slipped on her shoes and opened the pocket knife ready. Her and James had a habit of planning escape roots and finding safe places to hide whenever they came to a new city so she knew what she needed to do. She just had to get passed the man in her kitchen, someone she knew would be reluctant to let her go.

She opened the door ever so slightly to take a look at his exact position. His back was to her with one of James’ note books in his hand.

“I know you’re in there. You can come out, I promised I won’t hurt you.”

Dolores froze, more with nerves than anything. She was finally about to meet him. He was clad in his usual uniform of navy blue, different to what she had seen in the museum, more modern. He had turned round to face the door, placing the note book back on the counter. He looked just as nervous as she did. Finally, Dolores opened the door fully and stepped out to meet her father for the first time.

They stood looking at each other for what felt like eternity. He was taller than she expected and a lot broader than James, but his stance and demeanour was exactly how she imagined. She could see his eyes through the helmet he was wearing, they were just like hers.

“Do you speak much English or would you rather I speak Russia?”

“English is fine.” She whispered back, neither of them taking their eyes off the another.

“Do you know who I am?” He asked with sorrow lingering in his voice.

Dolores felt overcome with emotion, she just nodded before she could find the words to say, “You’re Steve Rogers. You’re my father.”

Steve took a deep breath to compose himself and nodded back, “My god, you look so much like your mother.”

Dolores took a deep breath to stop herself from crying. She had spent so long imagining what this moment would be like. A part of her had wished James would have let them go to Steve for sanctuary but then they wouldn’t have had their time together. And now that he was here, it meant that her and James’ time was up.

The front door of the apartment creaked once again, making Dolores jump. James had quietly entered with a look of regret etched across his features; he was thinking the same as her. He walked up to her and put his metal hand in hers.

“Do you remember me, Buck?” Steve spoke, a lot sterner than when he did with Dolores.

“Steve, how long have we got?”

Steve sighed, “Any second now.”

“Shit...” James mumbled under his breath. He turned to his wife, putting his hand on her cheek and speaking to her in their usual tongue of Russian, “The newspapers and television have my name all over them. They think I bombed a UN gathering...”

“What? But you didn’t! You wouldn’t...” Dolores gasped in shock.

“They don’t know that Dottie, they think I’m still that monster from before. I’m so sorry but this is it. You remember what to do? What I told you?”

Dolores nodded and kissed him one last time. 

“Really, Bucky? Of all the girls...” Steve mumbled, just as a the sound of metal clanged against the wooden flooring.

Within seconds everything changed.

The room was swarming with men clad in all black coming from every direction, shouting and screaming. Dolores dived across the floor and used the pen knife to pulled up one of the floorboards. She reached into the compartment underneath and pulled out a rug sack filled with their savings, a few changes of clothing, their passports and a gun James had acquired. She managed to get it on her back just as someone grabbed on to her leg. She picked up the loose floorboard and smacked them over the head, instantly knocking them out. 

James and Steve had fought through the initial swarm and were making their way out through the door, keeping them distracted. While they were keeping the fight with them, Dolores made her way towards the window. It looked clear so she started shimmying down the drain pipe. Her initial relief was short lived when a helicopter rounded the corner and began firing in her direction. She lost her footing and slid down the pipe, hitting the ground hard and knocking the wind out of her sails.

As she laid on the floor trying to get herself back up, she watched as James jumped out the window of their apartment building onto the roof of the next. The chopper that had once been shooting at her was making an emergency landing by the roadside. Dolores jumped to her feet with no time to spare, she had to move. 

She turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She could hear someone shouting behind her and the sound of pellets ricochetting off the surrounding buildings. There was no looking back, only forward. She needed to keep moving, to get to their meeting point. 

But within seconds, her legs went from under her and she hit the ground, face first. A thick metal rope was wrapped around her legs tightly and as much as she tried, she couldn’t get it off. A being, like nothing she had ever seen before with long metal wings, swooped down from the sky and landed in front of her. His eyes were masked by crimson goggles and he put the fear of god in her. All that was running through her head was: _has Hydra started giving people metal wings as well as arms now?_

The man walked towards her with his hands up, something that surprised her more than anything.

“Hey, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m here with Steve.” He explained as he came closer and untangled her legs, “I’m gunna get you out of here, come with me.”

But Dolores had other ideas. She got back to her feet and started running once again but this time the tail she needed to shake could fly. She ran across the street, dodging traffic and heading into an underpass. The man with wings would struggle to fly between the cars and the low roof of the bridge above and he wasn’t anywhere near as fast as her on his feet.

Just when she thought she had finally lost him, her entire body was wrapped in metal rope again but this time it gave a nasty shock. It completely paralysed her, making her fall to the ground, writhing around in pain. But it wasn’t the man with wings that had caught her, this time it was the men all in black. 

Half a dozen of them surrounded her, pointing their weapons and screaming at her to stay down and the man with the wings was thrown on the floor besides her.

“I told you to follow me.” He whispered in annoyance.

The electrical current finally stopped running through her body and she was helped to her feet while they unravelled her. When they came towards her with handcuffs, she started to panic. 

“No, I don’t want to go back!” She begged but her Russian was lost in translation. They just continued to shout at her in English and it was getting too much. 

Dolores glanced behind the men surrounding her, looking for a way out and caught sight of a blue uniform further into the underpass. James and her father had been caught by another group of black clad men and were being handcuffed also. They caught a fleeting glance of one another before she was pulled away towards a blacked out van. 

These men had to be Hydra. She wasn’t being taken by them again, not after she had finally tasted freedom. 

Dolores used all of her strength to push away from the men holding her, using the cuffs around her wrists to hit them. She didn’t have James’ strength but she was stronger than the average person. She gave one final cry for her husband before feeling a sharp prick in the side of her neck and her world fell into darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

Dolores woke with a start. Flashes of memories came back to her; her pink dress, her father’s eyes, James’ last kiss, the feel of the metal rope electrocuting her. She sat up too quickly, making her head spin. Everything about the room she was in screamed Hydra; from the steel bed she was laid on to the table with two chairs in the centre of the room, all in the same shade of grey. Only the one door in or out.

She took deep breaths through her nose to try and calm herself down. James and her father had both been captured as well so she wasn’t feeling too positive about them getting her out. Her hands were still bound in thick, metal cuffs that took up most of her aching wrists and she didn’t have the strength to break out of them. 

The door opened abruptly and in entered a pretty red headed woman, holding a manila file and plastering a fake smile on her face. She took a seat at the table and watched Dolores for a few seconds.

“Would you care to join me, Dolores?” The woman spoke in perfect Russian. She could tell from this woman’s dialect and annunciation that Russian was her first language and probably the reason why she was sent to speak with her. Dolores reluctantly joined her, resting her restraints on the table. 

The two women sat and eyed each other up for a few moments. Dolores could see that this woman was well trained. She didn’t tuck her chair under the table, leaving enough space for her to move if she needed too. She held herself well, Dolores got the feeling she was military, possibly even Red Room trained. Pierce used to tell her stories about those women and what they were capable of, she didn’t want to be on the wrong side of one.

Finally, the red head looked down at the file in front of her and pushed it in Dolores’ direction.

“This file is the only information on you in the entire world. Not a trace on the internet, in any of SHIELD or Hydras’ files. Just this hand written file found in a secret compartment of Alexander Pierce’s office.”

Just hearing Pierce’s name made her feel sick to her stomach at what he’d done. But she wouldn’t let it show, so she kept her expression neutral and stayed quiet. It would not do well for her to talk, talking led to punishment.

“Dolores, we just want to help you. We aren’t Hydra, we aren’t going to hurt you.”

She didn’t believe that. Looking down at the cuffs around her hands, she knew better than to trust them. The red head leaned over the table, making Dolores flinch at the sudden movement but then pulled out an electronic device that unlocked the shackles around her wrists. She rubbed at the tender skin beneath them once they were finally free. A small relief, but not enough to make her feel more comfortable about her situation. 

“We work for the United States government, we are going to keep you and James safe but to do that I need you to answer some questions.”

Dolores was struggling to see the difference between these people and Hydra. She needed more proof than the removal of some handcuffs. James had told her what to do if she was ever in this situation so she stuck to his plan.

“I will not speak to anyone without Captain Steve Rogers present.”

The redhead didn’t react except for a slight flinch in her eyebrow. 

“I’m afraid he isn’t available.” She muttered, with a taste of bitterness to her words.

Dolores just sat still, knowing the redhead was bluffing. James told her if they ever got caught, she was to ask for her father and not to speak with anyone until she had spoke with him first. They had him, she saw them put the same type of cuffs on him as they did her. She wasn’t giving up so easily.

“Dolores, I’m trying to help you here. We just need to know where you and James have been for the last 18 months? Where were you when James bombed the UN summit?”

She was pushing Dolores buttons to get a reaction. But Dolores had been in the hands of the most manipulative people in the world, it would take a lot more than that to get her to speak.

“Captain Steven Grant Rogers...”

“He’s not available.” 

The red head let out a small tremor of frustration in her voice that not many would notice. She pulled a cellphone out of her pocket and placed it on top of Dolores’ file.

“Your husband is currently locked away in a secure unit, awaiting transfer back to the US where he’ll be put on trial for his crimes and punished. If you cooperate, I can see to it that you get 5 minutes to speak on this phone before he leaves. What you say could help with his case, Dolores. You could make his punishment not so bad, do you understand?”

James said they would say things like that, anything to coerce her into giving them information. Dolores stood her ground and didn’t speak.

“Captain Steve Grant Rogers.”

The redhead left after that.

***

“You have a daughter?!” Tony Stark thought he knew everything or at least liked to act as though he did, but this was something he didn’t see coming, “And you were planning on sharing with the group when exactly?”

“Tony, I need you to speak with them. I need to see her, I need to know she’s ok.” Steve begged. 

The last thing Bucky said to him was to take care of Dottie, that she knew to ask for him and that she probably wouldn’t be taking too well to being locked back up. Everett Ross and his team were keeping Steve and Sam in a conference room, until they ‘sorted this mess out’ as he had put it. Steve could see Dolores on one tv screen and Bucky on the other. It was breaking his heart seeing them both like that.

“That daughter of yours is stubborn, clearly takes after you.” Natasha spoke as she entered the room.

“Did you know about this?” Tony exclaimed in exasperation.

“I was the one who told him.” She replied, enjoying every second of watching Tony’s dumbfound expression.

“So the assassin and bird man knew all about your love child but you didn’t think to include me?”

Steve closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge between them with his fingers. He didn’t have time for Stark’s amateur dramatics, he just wanted to speak with his daughter. 

“Steve?” Natasha piped up, “She said she would only speak to you. I spoke with the boss, he said he’ll give you five minutes with her before Barnes gets his evaluation.”

Steve jumped to his feet, thanking her before she led him out to Dolores’ detainment room. It wasn’t far, but ever step filled him with nerves the closer he got. As they reached the door, he could see her through the little glass window, reading her file. Not even he had read those, he couldn’t bring himself too. He practically barged passed Natasha, nearly breaking down the door to get her to stop reading them. He pulled the file out of her hands and turned back to Natasha.

“Really, Romanoff? Letting her read this isn’t going to get her talking, it’ll make matters worse.”

“Steve, she has a right to know what’s in them, it might be the only chance she gets to...”

“Before what? You going to ship her back to the US and detain her too?” Steve was so angry with everyone. 

Why couldn’t they see what he was seeing? That the Accords were wrong, that Bucky had been forced to commit those acts and his daughter had been kidnapped and held against her will her entire life. He turned to look at the girl sat bolt up right in the chair, she looked like a deer in the headlights.

“Natasha, can we have a moment?” He asked after his anger towards her had calmed down. 

She took one final glance in Dolores’ direction before nodding and leaving the room, locking the door behind her. Steve took the seat opposite her. Finally, they were alone.

Dolores had so many questions. About him, about her mother, about what she’d read in that file but words failed her. They did him too for a little while. That was until she reached her hand across the desk and held his. It was enough for Steve the finally give in to all the emotions he’d kept bottled up over the last few weeks and a lone tear dripped down his cheek.

“Papa?” Dolores managed before she shed a tear of her own. 

It made Steve laugh hearing that word come from her, “Yeah kid, I suppose I am.”

They squeezed each other’s hands tight, not wanting to let each other go.

“What’s going to happen to me now?”

“We’re getting out of here. Maybe just the two of us today, but Bucky will join us soon. That I promise.” Steve tried his hardest to reassure her.

She smiled and she looked so much like her mother when she did.

“Your mother...” he started and had to stop himself as emotions began to overcome him.

Peggy had died just a few weeks previous, missing out on finally meet the daughter she had spent most of her life mourning. They spoke briefly about Dolores (or Rose as Peggy had named her) on one of his last visits before her death. She has suspected foul play had caused her early labour and had the infant cremated as soon as possible to prevent anyone from stealing her body. Steve didn’t have it in him to tell her the truth, not when she was as ill as she was.

“She’s not with us anymore, is she?”

“No, she’s not.”

“That’s a shame, I would have liked to have seen her again.”

Steve looked at her puzzled, “Again? Wait, what?”

Suddenly, the room fell into darkness, dim emergency lights came on and sirens began to blare. Natasha burst through the door of the room.

“Somethings not right, the powers gone out. There’s no eyes on Barnes.”

“Where have they put my shield?”

She looked reluctant to tell him, but soon caved, “Storage room, next floor down. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

Steve ran down the corridor shouting back at Dolores, “Stay with Natasha, she’ll keep you safe.”

But Dolores had other ideas. As soon as Steve was out of sight, she grabbed the red head by the arm.

“You need to take me to James.” She demanded in Russian.

“And why would I do that?”

“If Hydra have him and they activate the Winter Soldier, I’m the only one who can stop him.”

Natasha eyed her up before reluctantly agreeing and led her towards the holding room. Dolores silently prayed that this was a false alarm but she knew it couldn’t be. James had prepared her for most eventualities, including what to do if someone said the Winter Soldier’s activation code. She just hoped she could get to him in time before he got away. 

They ran down a dimly lit corridor and into what was the control room. There were bodies littering the floor, some coming too and others barely breathing. She knew this had to be him.

They could hear fighting coming from ahead of them, unfortunately their only root to safety.

“We stick together. If they’ve come for Barnes, they’ll probably try to take you too...”

“No.” Dolores interrupted, “If they wanted me, they would have had me by now. They wouldn’t have extracted him like this, putting his picture in papers and television. This isn’t Hydra...”

It had been bugging Dolores no end. Hydra hated exposure, they liked to work in secrecy, like a disease attacking a body. They wouldn’t expose the identity of their greatest asset to the world like that. No, this was someone else’s plan. 

Dolores could hear the ragged breaths of two people in hand to hand combat, behind the door at the other end of the room. She sprinting ahead of Natasha, eager to find James before he hurt more people or someone hurt him. 

“It’s him, I can hear him.” Dolores would be able to pick James heartbeat out of a hundred others, her senses were so acute to it. 

She paused and let Natasha open the doors ahead of her which led into direct sunlight and people running in every direction. Natasha ran ahead when she saw James wrestling with Tony Stark and holding a gun to his head. He fired a shot but luckily for Stark, his glasses were bullet proof and it ricocheted of them. Natasha dived on top of James, trying to wrestle him to the ground with her bare hands. Dolores watched as her legs wrapped round him like a snake, delivering blow after blow to his head. She was about to shout to him, when someone collided with her, knocking her to the ground and banging her head.

Dolores laid there dazed for a moment, trying to get her bearings. There were legs blocking her view of James, everything kept moving so quickly. By the time she got back to her feet, James had made his way up a flight of stairs. She followed after him, holding the wall until she got her balance back.

She stumbled through corridors and broken down doors, following his path of destruction until finally, Dolores caught up with him on a helipad, ripping the door of a helicopter off it’s hinges.

“Soldier!” she cried, “Stand down!”

He turned and looked at her, his eyes cold and empty. She’d had so many nightmares of him looking at her like that once again.

“Do you remember me Soldier?” She asked as she approached him.

“You are my mission. Subject D23, the Soldier’s wife.” He replied, completely monotone and sounding just like he did back at Hydra. 

“You are to obey my orders above the ones you have just been given. Sleep now, Soldier.”

And with that the Soldier closed his eyes and fell to the ground, just as Steve walked on to the helipad, brandishing his shield. He ran towards them to help Dolores catch him as he fell.

“We need to get him out of here. Someone knows his trigger words, it’s not safe...”

“I know a place we can take him, follow me.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I don’t see why you need to do this.”

 

Dolores could understood that they were nervous about James waking up, but to put his metal arm in a vice was barbaric. She didn’t get why they didn’t believe her when she said he would wake up fine.

 

“Yeah, well I’d rather not take the risk.” Sam muttered under his breath.

 

James’ metal fingers twitched, as he slowly started coming round. Dolores, who hadn’t left his side, put her hand to his cheek and eagerly waited for him to open his eyes. As soon as he saw her, he pulled her close with his flesh arm and held her tight.

 

“Are you alright, my love?” He whispered to her in Russian.

 

Dolores replied with a nod, grateful to be back in his arms once again. Steve entered the room but held back from releasing James just yet.

 

“Which Bucky am I speaking to?”

 

“Your mom’s name was Sarah and she used to bake the best chocolate chip cookies in Brooklyn. It used to make my Ma so mad because her’s never tasted as good.”

 

Steve grinned and unlocked the vice, “You don’t read stuff like that in a museum.”

 

“So that’s it? We’re supposed to trust him?” Sam questioned, Dolores just shot him a look at that remark. The man with metal wings was really starting to irritate her.

 

“We have to get you some place safe.” James pleaded at his wife, “We have to stop him.”

 

“The guy they sent to evaluate you? Any ideas why he set you off?” Steve enquired.

 

“He wanted to know about a mission, he triggered me as a distraction so he could get away.”

 

“I knew this wasn’t Hydra.” Dolores whispered under her breath.

 

“It’s not, but it could be just as bad. He wanted to know about December 1991, he wanted to know about the others.”

 

“Wait, others? There’s more of you?” Sam questioned.

 

Dolores was confused. She knew nothing about it and the idea that there might be more people just as strong as her, James and her father was frightening.

 

“I was sent to steal a batch of test serum that Howard Stark had created. I killed him Steve. He was our friend and I killed him...”

 

“No, my love. Their deaths are on Hydras’ hands, not yours. You had no control, they forced you to do those things...” Dolores tried to reassure him.

 

She had spent the last 18 months trying to console him on the things that had happened in his past. He blamed himself for every death Hydra forced him to commit, some days crippling him with regret and anguish and sorrow. Those were the days Dolores had to take care of the both of them, pick him up out of that dark place and return him to the light. He would say how he didn’t deserve her, that he should turn himself in and accept his punishment. And she would always be there to hold him and do her best to save him from those dreadful thoughts.

 

James took a deep breath, “They used the serum to make 5 more Soldiers, an elite team of assassins that could bring down countries and governments over night. But something went wrong. They would go into fits of rage and destroy everything in their path. They were uncontrollable so Hydra put them on ice in Siberia. I think that’s where our guy is going, I think he’s going to wake them up.”

 

Sam and Steve took a minute to talk amongst themselves. James held his girls hand tight, he had to get her somewhere safe before stopping these soldiers from awakening.

 

“I’m coming with you.” Dolores whispered with a big grin on her face.

 

James stood up to stretch, then proceeded to pull her into a hug and kissing the top of her head, “You can’t, it’s not safe.”

 

“Neither was going on the run for the last year and a half, but we both survived. I’m strong, I can fight them, I can hold my own and you know I can. You need all the help you can get.”

 

“Absolutely not.” Steve piped up, “You’re not coming with us, end of discussion.”

 

Dolores walked over to the huge vice that had once held James’ arm under it. She took the thick metal handle and bent it into a perfect U shape. She then picked up her father’s shield and threw it at his head as hard as she could. He caught it before it hit him but the force knocked him to the ground.

 

“Do you have many other people on your side who can do that?”

 

Steve and Sam’s jaws dropped while James’ smirked at her performance.

 

“Yeah, Steve. We kind of need her.” Sam was the first to speak.

 

“No, absolutely not.” Was James’ reply, his grin now faded.

 

“We ain’t exactly working as a full team right now. You take this to Stark, he’s not gunna believe us, especially if the intel came from him. Now I know a guy who might be able to give us a hand but we need all the help we can get.” Sam muttered to Steve, ignoring James’ comment.

 

Steve got to his feet and looked down at the shield in his hands. How had it gotten to this? He was devising a plan to do battle against the people who he should trust to have his back in a fight. Where did it all go so wrong?

 

“Alright, I’ve got a plan. Sorry Buck, you ain’t gunna like it.”

 

***

 

Steve ran out on the tarmac and was heading towards a chopper that he had no intension of boarding. Within seconds of him getting towards its vicinity, it exploded like fireworks on the 4th July. Just as Steve was lowering his shield after protecting himself from the blast, an Ironman suit containing Tony Stark landed in front of him.

 

“Hey Steve, what a nice surprise.” Tony taunted as he lifted up his visor, “I’m kind of in a sticky situation here, fancy helping a guy out?”

 

“Tony, you need to let me passed, this goes beyond my family or the Accords. People are in danger...”

 

“Your family, huh? And there’s me feeling really sorry for you, thinking all you had was us.” Tony was running out of time and patients with Steve, “I need you to stand down and hand over Barnes. If you stop now maybe I can sort you a deal so that your kid doesn’t have to spend the rest of her life visiting you in a jail cell.”

 

“I can’t, Tony. You know I won’t stop when lives are in danger.”

 

“The only lives you need to worrying about is yours and your daughters. If you do this, I can’t help you. There’s no going back.”

 

Steve just shook his head, “I can’t.”

 

Tony tutted with frustration, “Then so be it. Underoos!!!”

 

Steve’s shield was ripped from his hands and his legs and arms became bound so he could barely move. Out the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of metal arm making its way across the tarmac. The plan was working, he just need to keep Tony distracted a little longer...

 

Meanwhile, James and Dolores were running.

 

The team was split up into different groups; Scott was to cover Steve when Stark showed up, Wanda and Clint were watching for the rest of Stark’s team and Sam was covering James and Dolores as they ran for the quinjet.

 

They were to stay onboard and protect it from those on Stark’s side until the rest of the group arrived, when they would all hopefully make it to Siberia in time. Steve knew that if he didn’t take Dottie with him, there was a good chance Stark would find her and use her as leverage. He didn’t like the idea of bringing her into the middle of a fight, but this was the only option he had.

 

Stark, Natasha, T’Challa and the kid in the spider costume were on the ground, he could see Rhodes in the Iron Patriot flying by but he was concerned about Vision, or the lack of him. He wouldn’t have stayed behind, not after the way Wanda left things with him.

 

Right on queue, Wanda spoke over the comms, “Has anyone seen Vision? We have eyes on everyone but him.”

 

James and Dolores were almost at the hanger when a beam of light ran across their path, stopping them in their tracks.

 

“I’m afraid I must ask you to stop and turn yourself in Sergeant Barnes.” Said a purple floating man in front of them. Apparently the laser beam had came from his head, which completely blew Dolores’ mind.

 

“Is he from Hydra too?” She asked in shock.

 

“I have no idea what he is...” James replied, just as Sam swooped into the purple creature, sending him flying.

 

“Go, quick. I got you covered!”

 

James and Dolores ran as fast as they could towards the hanger but it was James this time who was stopped. A cat like creature blocked their path and latched on to his metal arm, spinning him to the ground. James tried to tell Dolores to keep going but the strange animal had its claws around his throat. Dolores was not having that.

 

“You killed my father!” It muttered, venomously.

 

“No he didn’t!” Dolores screamed as she dived on its back.

 

She managed with enough force to get him to loosen his grip on James but then the creature retaliated and dug its claws into Dolores’ arm. She whimpered in pain as the feline threw her over his shoulder, onto the ground.

 

“Get the hell away from my wife!”

 

James started throwing punches at the creature which blocked and dodged them almost gracefully. It’s razor sharp fingers littering James metal arm with scratches in the process. Dolores got back to her feet just as a red and blue shield swooped into view and knocked the perpetrator to the ground. Dolores picked up the shield and tossed it back in her father’s direction before grabbing the sleeve of James flesh arm and dragging him back towards their goal.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Dolores looked down at her tatted sleeve and the blood pouring out of it, “I’m fine, I’ve had worse. We need to get the jet up and running so we can collect the others.”

 

“I don’t think all of us will be making it with you.” Said a voice over the comms she believed to be Clint.

 

“Some of us are going to have to stay behind to keep these at bay.” muttered Sam.

 

“No, I’m not leaving anyone...”

 

“Sam’s right, Cap. You don’t get a choice in this one. We’ll keep them distracted enough to get you to the quinjet, then you’d have to go without us.” Clint spoke up once again.

 

Dolores and James were finally at the jet. Just as they were about to board, a familiar face was blocking their path.

 

“Give me one good reason why I should let you two lovebird passed?” Natasha asked them in Russian.

 

James took the defensive and was about to attack when Dolores stopped him. Clutching her arm to her chest, she walked up to the Widow.

 

“Their’s more to this than me and James’. We’re not running away from our problems, we’re running towards another. The man who activated James is wanting to wake up more like us. We have to stop him.”

 

Natasha looked behind them and could see Steve running in their direction, swiftly followed by T’Challa. She knew she was probably going to regret her next move.

 

“Go and I’ll hold him off. Quickly, before I change my mind.”

 

Dolores thanked her as she and James boarded the jet, followed quickly by Steve. Steve had it up in the air seconds later, flying above the chaos. James was starting to wrap Dolores arm when the rear of the jet buckled slightly from an impact.

 

“We’ve got a tail, looks like Stark and Rhodes. Sam do you copy?” Steve spoke over the comms.

 

All three of them listened intently as Sam recited that Rhodes had been hit by a stray beam from Vision. Neither he or Stark could make it to him in time. Their comms lost signal not long after that.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favourite chapter to write in this series so far, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it!

James insisted that Dolores rest, “Take a nap in the back, you need to build your strength up to heal your arm. I’ll wake you before we land.”

 

He kissed the top of her head before she pulled a blanket over herself and closed her eyes. She wasn’t even that tired but she knew the less energy she used, the quicker she would heal. She had to be fighting fit now that there was just the three of them.

 

James sat behind Steve as he steered the jet to their destination. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Steve spoke up.

 

“She asleep?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Are we going to talk about this Buck?”

 

“I guess we have to at some point.” James replied, begrudgingly.

 

“The first few months that you went into hiding, I understood. You were still finding out who you were and wanted to protect Dottie but after awhile, I thought... I thought you would at least try to find me. Why did you hide her from me for so long? You must have known I was looking for you both?”

 

“I did, we knew, we just... It was complicated Steve.” James felt his bottled up guilt ride to the surface. He knew he’d hurt Steve by not going to him, he had to explain himself, “When we first broke free, Dottie didn’t know anything about this world. She only spoke Russian and very broken English. She had no idea about anything; technology, money. I had to show her everything and in a way it saved me, she kept me going. She was all I had Steve, I know I was being selfish asking her to stay with me but she refused to leave. There were a couple of times I tried to take her to you before we left for Europe but she wouldn’t. We didn’t want to lose the life we had together or bring trouble to your door.”

 

“But you took her to see Peggy.”

 

“How’d you find out about that?”

 

“Dottie mentioned it.”

 

James nodded, “When we found out Pegs’ was still alive, Dottie begged me to take her, just once. I did some digging, found out where she was staying and her condition. She sat with her for 5 minutes, pretending to be a nurse but Pegs’ knew. It’s them damn eyes you both have, it was the same for me.”

 

“You knew we were related?”

 

“No, I just knew I’d seen them on some dumb punk before.” James and Steve both chuckled, “Anyway, Pegs’ closed her eyes for a few moments and when she woke up, she didn’t know who Dottie was anymore. We left straight after that.”

 

“Peggy’s mind was still sharp, right up to the very end. She just kept forgetting...”

 

“I’m sorry, Steve.”

 

Steve just nodded. Bucky couldn’t begin to imagine how he must be feeling. Peggy was the only woman he’d ever loved and he could see the heartbreak of losing her etched across his face. He never wanted to feel that, he’d be lost without Dottie.

 

The silence returned between them while Steve processed what he’d heard.

 

“Bucky, one last thing.” Steve’s tone was serious, he swivelled in his chair to look James straight in the eye, “I know you won’t, but you pull any of the stunts you used to back in the day on my daughter, we’re going to have a problem.”

 

Bucky couldn’t help but chuckle, “She’s not like them girls, Steve. Wait until you get to know her better, Dottie is something special.”

 

Steve smiled to himself, “Hopefully if we get out of this, I’d very much like too.”

 

Dolores smiled to herself under the blanket. She looked forward to getting to know her father very much too.

 

***

 

Strong fingers grasping at her body for purchase. She could feel the weigh of him on top of her and his breath on her skin. Her body responded to every touch, begging him for more. Her skin tingled were there once was contacted. But then he seemed to get further and further away from her. She tried to reach out to him, to stop him leaving. She called his name and he replied with hers ever so softly in her ear.

 

“Dottie... it’s time to wake up, my love.”

 

Then her eyes opened and she was laid on a cot in the back of the quinjet, the man she was just dreaming about knelt down beside her.

 

“You said my name in your sleep, what were you dreaming about?”

 

“I was dreaming about Austria.” She replied with a mischievous grin on her face.

 

James understood what she meant and his cheeks rouged ever so slightly as he thought back to that time. He took her injured arm with his metal one and ever so gently removed the bandages, only the faint red lines of scratches were left.

 

“Time to suit up, Dottie. It’s about to get really cold.” Came a voice from the cockpit.

 

Steve was just about to land them in the snowy climate of Siberia. Dolores watch though the window as the jet made a gentle landing and thought back to the harsh winters in the cabin. She was forced to sleep outside in snow just as thick as this, if not thicker. She clenched her fingers, remembering how she would wake up not being able to feel her limbs. She hated the snow.

 

James put a thick, black jacket over her shoulders. They both felt the same about the cold, both despising it.

 

Steve left the cockpit and picked up his shield just as James handed Dolores two hand guns. She was checking them over and placing them in holsters on her thighs just as Steve turned to face them both.

 

“We don’t know what the situation will be like in there. There’s a good chance we’ll have to fight our way out of this and there’s no guarantee that we’re all going to make it out. The jet is set on autopilot to Stark tower in New York. Don’t hesitate. If you have to leave me behind, then so be it. But if these guys are awake, you need to get out of here Dolores.”

 

She looked at her father in shock, “I’m not leaving you, not after I’ve just found you.”

 

“It’s not what I want either, but your safety is mine and Bucky’s number one priority. If they are awake, we’ll do our best to hold them off. If you can get to New York, hopefully Stark will see the light and bring re-enforcements.”

 

“I can fight...”

 

“I know, Dottie. I’m not disregarding your abilities. I just want to keep you safe. Promise me, if I tell you to go, you will?”

 

“Ok, fine.” Dolores answered, reluctantly.

 

Steve opened the hanger bay and the bitter Siberian air hit them. They were deep in the mountains with nothing but snow blanketing the terrain as far as the eye could see. Steve stayed on Dolores’ right while James was on her left, both surveying their surroundings for any sign of danger. All they found was an abandoned 4x4 and a set of fading tracks leading up to an open door embedded in the side of a rock. If the door hadn’t been open and the snow not disturbed, she highly doubted they would have spotted it.

 

They silently looked amongst themselves before Steve entered first. It was a small room containing nothing but a lift and the only way was down. Dolores could tell that Steve didn’t like the idea of there only being one exit in or out but they had no choice. All three of them entered the lift as it descended to their destiny.

 

They took the lift all the way to the bottom and decided to work their way up, scouting out each area as they went. Not long after they started their search on the first floor, they heard a loud thudding noise coming from behind a large metal door. James and Dolores froze and pointed their weapons in its direction as Steve stood in front of them with his shield at the ready.

 

After a couple more pounds, the door gave way to reveal the man Dolores was supposed to go for back up; Tony Stark.

 

“Hope you don’t mind me gate crashing your family day out?” He retorted behind his Ironman visor, “At easy Bonnie and Clyde, I’m currently not here for you two.”

 

James and Dolores stood their ground with their guns still pointing at him, unsure if he was now a friend or still a foe. It was only when Steve signalled for them to lower their weapons, that they did.

 

“Glad to see you here, Tony.”

 

“Well, maybe your story had some merit to it once I did some digging.”

 

“And Rhodes, is he...”

 

“He’s alive. But not in good shape. We’ll discuss it later after we defeat the bad guys and figure out what to do with your daughter and her assassin husband. Is that not incredibly weird for you? Your daughter dating your friend from the 40’s? Bit of an age gap...”

 

“Not now, Tony.” Steve replied, sharply.

 

“I bet he’s given you a pep talk already, am I right?” Tony teased, gesturing towards James. Dolores tried to hide a grin which was the only answer he needed.

 

“Can we get back to the mission at hand, please?” Steve chastised, as they carried on walking through the maze of corridors.

 

Stark’s presents was a little more comforting for Dolores but she still couldn’t shake the way every Hydra base made her feel. The walls and corridors alone intimidated her, even these as empty as they were made her feel powerless once again. She knew James felt the same, his eyes were everywhere, and she could hear his heart rate had gone up as soon as they had entered the building. This was hell for them both.

 

Finally, they found what they were looking for. They walked into a huge room filled with several cryogenic chambers and scientific equipment. To the side was a chair James was all too familiar with that made him pause for a split second. Dolores wanted to run over and hold him when she saw the anguish in his eyes but they had to stay focused.

 

Everything looked as though it hadn’t been touched in years, except for the television plonked on top of a console in the centre of the room and the bullet holes in the cryo-chambers. Every single one of the soldiers had a bullet in their heads.

 

“Do you really think I wanted more of you?” Echoed a voice from behind a steel door. Dolores instantly shot at the face peaking through the little window just as Steve threw his shield in the same direction. Both just ricochet off, hardly leaving a scratch.

 

“The door is re-enforced, I’m afraid your guns won’t be much use getting through this.” The man retorted, keeping his eyes on Dolores as he spoke.

 

“You’re Sokovian.” Steve recognised the man’s accent, “I take it you lost someone?”

 

“I lost everyone. My wife, my son, my father. It was you who were supposed to save them.” The man took his time to look at the faces of everyone in the room before keeping his gaze once again on Dolores, “You and I are just collateral damages my dear. I’m sorry for what is about to happen to your family, but mine weren’t even considered when half of my home fell on top of them.”

 

“And what about the King of Wakanda? Was he just ‘collateral damage’ too?” Steve piped up, “If it’s not the soldiers you want, then why are we here?”

 

The man behind the glass smirked at that question. Steve had a bad feeling in his gut and stood closer to Dolores. He knew he shouldn’t have brought her here. This man wanted revenge for the death of his family and Steve had brought his right to him.

 

The television sat on top of the console flickered on, showing grainy black and white footage. Instantly James, Steve and Stark tensed up, Dolores didn’t understand what she was looking at.

Seconds later, a car crashed into a wall on the screen.

 

“Wait... that car... what is this?!” Stark shouted nervously at the man behind the glass but he was already gone. Dolores could hear everyone’s heartbeats starting to rise, especially Stark’s. That was when she put the pieces together. She looked at James for confirmation and his face told her everything; jaw tight and eyes wide. When the Winter Soldier walked onto the screen, she silently pulled her second pistol out of its holster and readied herself.

 

Once the video ended, Stark’s face had completely changed. He was devastated. And so was James.

 

“Mr Stark, that man on the screen was not my husband...”

 

“Then who the hell was it then!” Stark didn’t raise his voice, but his tone was venomous; sharp and to the point, “Did you know about this?”

 

He was looking at Steve who was trying to defuse the situation.

 

“Tony, it wasn’t him...”

 

“STOP SAYING THAT!”

 

They all fell silent but the tension was excruciating.

 

Steve finally piped up, “He didn’t know what he was doing Tony, he wasn’t in control.”

 

“So you did know then.”

 

Steve stayed silent for a moment before giving in, “Yes. Listen to me, Tony. Bucky didn’t want to do it, Hydra forced him.”

 

“I don’t care, he killed my mom.”

 

And then all hell broken loose.

 

Stark went straight for James and began shooting beams from his thrusters, just as Steve shouted for him and Dolores to run. James grabbed her arm and dragged her along, narrowly missing getting caught by a rogue projectile. She turned and fired a few shots in Stark’s direction while Steve grabbed at any element of the suit to stop him. He managed to disable the thruster on his boot with his shield, but not before Stark destroyed their only way of escape.

 

“Don’t get in the way of this, Cap. Take your daughter and leave. I won’t give you another chance.”

 

“Tony, he’s my friend.” Steve begged.

 

“So was I.”

 

They carried on fighting between themselves as James and Dolores tried to find other way out. They found a shaft at the other side of the room that led up and back out into the Siberian snow. James pushed Dolores ahead of him trying to get her out of the situation as soon as possible but as they got half way up, Stark found them.

 

James shout for Dolores to keep going as Stark kept trying to shoot him off the ledge but seconds later a huge explosion above them brought the ceiling down around them. They had no option other than to jump back down to were they had came from to prevent them from being buried alive.

 

Through out the commotion, Dolores lost both of her weapons. She had narrowly missed being buried by the avalanche of debris and had lost sight of James. She could hear frantic fighting; the twang of metal on metal and heavy breathing. She headed to the direction of the noise.

 

Dolores ran towards a lip at the edge of the base and looked down upon the chaos. Steve and James where both taking on Stark, working in tangent with one another. They passed the shield between them selves, blocking Stark’s attacks while the other fed him blow after heavy blow. His iron suit looked beyond wrecked but he refused to back down and his armour powered on.

 

Dolores froze not knowing what to do or how to stop it. They shouldn’t be fighting, not like this. Stark got a shot in at her father which knocked him to his knees.

 

“Papa!” Dolores cried, out of pure instinct.

 

Stark didn’t even turn to look in her direction, he just lifted his arm and fired a warning shot at Dolores’ while fending off her husband. Only the shot wasn’t as inaccurate as he thought.

 

Steve was still on his knees when he watched his daughter get shot in the abdomen by Stark. She stood for a few moments before the pain sunk in and she fell to the ground, rolling down the edge to Steve.

 

“Papa...” she managed to before coughing up a little blood in the corner of her mouth.

 

The fighting paused for a moment when James caught sight of Dolores laid on the floor. Stark didn’t miss a beat though, giving him a right hook to the jaw bring back his attention.

 

“You shot my wife!” James managed through grit teeth but Stark didn’t hear him, determined to end it once and for all.

 

Steve took a look at Dolores’ wound and tried not to panic. It was deep and had singed a large part of her left hand side. It looked like the beam had cauterised most of it as she wasn’t bleeding externally, the blood on her lip meant there was another story going on internally.

 

“Dolores, I need you to stay awake for me, ok?” Steve tried to reassure her as the commotion behind him continued, neither Stark nor James giving up. Steve tore Dolores’ coat and used it to put pressure on her wound.

 

“Bucky!” Steve called to him but he was so angry, he just ignored him.

 

James had Stark pinned to the wall, his metal hand clasped around the suits arc reactor. He delved his fingers deep into its surrounding case and grasped at the device, feeling it melt his bionic limb. With all his strength, he yanked the thing from Stark’s chest, causing a beam of pure energy to erupt out of it and disintegrate his metal appendage. James fell to the floor along side his girl as he went into shock.

 

When Stark still continued to try and finish the job, Steve stood to stop him.

 

“Stark, stop this right now! This won’t bring them back.”

 

Stark hesitated for a moment while Steve held him back. He watched as James was crawling away for the fight. ‘Pathetic’ he thought until his saw what he was crawling towards. James remaining flesh limb was reaching out to Dolores who was laid on the floor, clutching her side and barely conscious.

 

Steve smacked Stark hard sending his flying backwards along the floor. Anger took over as he kept hitting the suit of armour until the helmet had came off and Stark’s petrified, bruised face was looking up at him. He couldn’t remember picking up his shield but his senses finally kicked in as he brought it down on Stark’s suit and not his head. 

 

Steve stood and looked over to his family. James had managed to crawl over to Dolores and was using his only arm to put pressure on her wound, while rubbing her nose with his and whispering to her in Russian. Her eyes were struggling to stay open and Steve knew if he didn’t get her to the jet soon, he’d lose her forever.

 

“Look what you've done to my family, Stark.”

 

“It’s no different than what your friend did to mine.” Stark wheezed. That comment was the final straw for Steve. He picked up his shield and went to help his family.

 

“That shield doesn’t belong to you! My father made that, you don’t deserve it!”

 

Steve gave it one final glance at his weapon before tossing it to the floor. If he was honest with himself, he never wanted to see it again. He got James on his feet first before picking Dolores up. She was starting to look pale and her eyes kept rolling to the back of her head.

 

“Stay with me, Dottie. Papa’s here.” He whispered to her. He caught the hint of a smile on her lips before she passed out completely.

 

He heard the soft murmurs of crying coming from behind them, but Steve refused to look back. No one hurt his family, not after he just got them back.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update but in all honest, I didn't know how I was going to end this. But seeing Endgame gave me some huge inspiration to continue. Enjoy a little bit of smut towards the end ; )

The clang of metal on metal was so reverberating, it rang through her sensitive ears right to her core. She could hear three ragged breathes with pure clarity and could identify each of them by their erratic heartbeats. But it was so dark, she couldn’t find them to tell them to stop. She tried to shout for them; for her father, for her love, even for Stark but no sound came from her lips. She was pinned to the ground by a heavy weight on her stomach, forcing her to stay put. 

It was the worst nightmare imaginable.

Only, she knew it was real. 

And like all nightmares, a demon came to plague it.

_“You’ll never be free, not truly.”_

She heard his voice so clearly, for the first time in such a long time.

_“Oh, Dolores. We were going to do so many wonderful things, you and I. Such a shame to see it all go to waste.”_

She couldn’t do anything. She couldn’t move or open her eyes. She was stuck, frozen and tortured to listen to those three heartbeats and his voice.

_“Neither of them know you. Not like I do. I know exactly what you’re capable of Dolores, I gave you the stepping stones to greatness and death was how you repaid me?”_

She wanted the voice to stop but it wouldn’t, it just kept on spitting venom.

_“Do you really think he could ever be a father to you? Open your eyes Dolores and look at him.”_

She mustered the energy from god knows where and opened her eyes. She looked into her father’s face, so close to her own but Steve wasn’t looking back at her. He stood from where he was bent over her and ran back toward the fight, towards Stark and James. She watched him walk away from her until he became nothing more than a blue blur amongst the battle.

_“He doesn’t know how to love anything other than war and fighting the good fight. His mind will always be on the next battle, the next strategy. It’s in his DNA, can’t you feel it in yours too?”_

Dolores felt her chest getting tighter. It was getting so hard to breath, so hard to focus on anything at all. Her eyes felt heavy but she fought on to keep them open.

She caught a glimpse of James laid out on the floor with fresh blood covering his face and clothing. He was crawling his way towards her with his flesh arm reaching out to her. As for his other arm, she could only make out sparks and loose wires, nothing was left of it from the shoulder down.

_“And here comes the Soldier, another one who will drop you once the infatuation wears off. How long before he gets tired you? The constant reminder of the worst time of his life, being chained to him? He won’t stick around forever.”_

“Dottie?”

His face was so close to hers, yet she could only just make out his voice.

“Stay with me, my love.”

She felt his nose on hers, a sharp pain in her side once again and her eyes closing for one final time.

“Stay with me, Dottie!”

_“You’ll never be free.”_

“Stay with me, Dottie. Papa’s here...”

***

It was the noise of the machines that woke Dolores first. Her memories where a foggy haze and she couldn’t remember where she was or how she’d got there. Instinct kicked in and she tried to sit up thinking she was back at Hydra.

“It’s ok, my love. We’re safe. Lie back.” 

She knew that voice. Those soft Russian words with a Brooklyn twang to them. She focused her eyes onto him, finally seeing him properly. Her husband. Her love. Her constant.

He smiled sweetly at her and she swore the room got brighter when he did. My god, how beautiful he was when he smiled.

“I...” she struggled to get her words out, her voice hoarse until he brought water to her lips. When she had drank enough she continued, “Are we back at Hydra?”

“No, sweetheart. We’re somewhere else.” He smiled again, taking hold of her hand and kissing the back of it. 

She took her time to study her husband. His hair was clean and he was wearing all white, a colour she’d never seen him in. His left shoulder had a black cap covering what used to be his arm. He could see her looking at it and knew she would have questions.

“I’m ok, it doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s the best it’s felt since I had a real one.” He chuckled, trying his hardest be light hearted about it.

She ran her fingers along the cap where the joint of his arm still was, then let it wander up his neck and to his cheek. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. His kisses were one of the few things that made her feel safe.

“Where are we?”

“We’re in Wakanda. King T’Challa kindly offered to take us in and fix us up.” 

“What happened with Stark? Is he...?”

James glanced away from her, something he only did when he was nervous, “Stark’s alive but don’t worry, he won’t find us here. He can’t hurt us anymore.”

“And my Papa?”

“Steve’s fine, he... he’s gone to rescue the others. Once we’d left for Siberia, Stark had the rest of the team arrested for breaching some agreement called the Accords or something. Your dad’s gone to break them out and take them home.”

Dolores tried to hide the disappointment she felt inside and suppress the little voice in her head saying _‘told you so.’_ She nodded, knowing she hadn’t hidden her disappointment very well. 

“I don’t think we’ve been to Wakanda before, have we?”

James chuckled, “No, my love. We’ve seen most of Europe and America but Wakanda is new territory, even for me.”

“What do we do now, James?”

He sighed, knowing the answer but afraid to break the news to her, “King T’Challa has offered you a place to in Wakanda while we both get better. The thing is Dottie, its going to take a little while to make me better again.”

“Is it your arm?”

“No, Dottie. It’s my head. I can’t walk around with trigger words stuck in there, I could hurt someone. I killed people last time...”

“But I can stop you.”

“Not every time, Dottie. What if you’re not there? What if I hurt you? I’d never forgive myself. I need to get these words out of my head, I can’t risk losing control again.”

“Why do I feel like I’m not going to like how it’s done?”

He lowered his head, he knew she wouldn’t but there was no other way.

“I have to go back under. The scientists here are going to freeze me until they can find away to remove them. It’s the only way to stop me becoming a danger to anyone.”

If she had the energy to get out of bed and walk away from him she would have. In the past, he talked to her about the pain he would experienced every time he was put under; the ice running through his veins, chocking on air as it froze in his lungs and the headaches being abruptly jerked out of it. Why would he willingly do this to himself again and leave her alone in a strange country?

“How long?”

“They don’t know. It’s not an easy thing to undo what’s been done to me.”

Dottie just nodded. She couldn’t deny him this; a chance of normality, to take away some of the damaged caused by Hydra.

“And Steve will be back soon, you’ll finally have a chance to get to know each other.”

She wanted nothing more but that echoes of that voice came back to haunt her.

He’s not coming back.

James climbed onto the bed besides her, forcing her to move along to made room for him. She giggled at him, keeping her thoughts to herself. He needed this and she didn’t want to be the one who held him back.

“I promise, I’m coming back to you.”

“You always do.”

“It might take years, Dottie.”

She sighed, playing with a strand of his hair that had fallen in the way of his ocean blues.

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Don’t promise that.”

“What? Why?”

“While I’m away, I need you to do something for me.” His tone was tender still, yet serious.

“Anything.”

“Don’t wait too long. Don’t waste your life away on someone asleep in a box. If you find someone else...”

“Someone else? James...”

“Please, let me finish. I don’t want you to have the guilt of me lingering over you. I want you to live a long life, filled with adventures and if you find the one you’re supposed to be with, I want you to know it’s ok to move on. And that, no matter what, I’ll always love you.”

She shook her head, “I’ll promise you this. No matter what happens, no matter how many years it takes before you wake up, I’ll be the first person you see when you do. I’ll try to figure my life out while you’re sleeping but I want to be the first person to greet you back into the real world. Deal?”

“Deal.” 

And like that, they sealed it with a kiss. Dolores knew, deep in her heart, she could never move on. Her and James shared something no one else could even begin to understand; their love wasn’t forced on each other but destined to be. She would let him go but with the heaviest of hearts.

Dolores got herself up and out of bed before a nurse had chance to assess her, much to James' despair. He kept insisting that she lie down and take it stead but she knew her body and what it needed. Years of stitching up her own wounds had taught her how her body healed, she’d had the several days of rest it required, now she needed to stretch out and flex her newly grown flesh. She was walking with a hunch and a limp but she knew she'd be back to normal in time, though she highly doubted that the scar would fully heal. 

The next morning she had been discharged from the hospital wing, with a promise that she would return daily to have her wound checked. She agreed, eager to be with James as much as she could before their time together would once again come to a halt. A heavy burden they both felt weighing on them.  
T'Challa had graciously offered them a beautiful room within his palace, which they both respectfully declined. They opted instead for a small shack by a riverbed on the palaces grounds. It was simple, basic but was everything they ever wanted. Their first evening there, they sat by the water and watched as the glow of the days sun set beyond the horizon. 

“T'Challa said he's going to make us some paperwork, make us both official citizens of the twenty first century. Birth certificates, passports, things like that.”

“No more black market ones then?” Dottie chuckled.

“Nope, the real deal. He wanted to know what name you wanted on yours, I said I’d let you decide when you woke up.”

“Dolores Rose Rogers-Barnes.”

Dottie didn’t need time to think about it, she'd had her name picked out for awhile. She'd met a girl in Bucharest who had double barrelled her surnames and loved the idea. Bringing two families together as one.

“You really want my name on there too?”

“Of course, James. You are my husband. Now we can make it official.”

“I wish we could have done things properly. You know, take you out on a few dates, ask your Pops for permission, had an actual wedding ceremony.”

“Then we will. As soon as you get back, we'll do it properly. We’ll get married and then I’ll legally be your wife.”

James smiled at his girl, hiding the grief and regret he was truly feeling. The technology to remove the impact those words did to his mind didn’t even exist yet, he had been warned that he would most likely be under for several years at least. He couldn’t bare to lose her, but he couldn’t have her waste all that time waiting.

He stood from where he sat and silently took her hand, leading her inside of their humble abode. He needed her badly, so eager to savour every moment they had left. He led her to the bed were he took her in his arm, holding on to his girl for the longest time. He buried his face in her hair, taking in its softness and scent. He did the same with the skin on her neck and before he knew it, he was peppering kisses were he was once resting his head. She rewarded him with little gasps when he tickled a delicate spot, a sound he revelled in. She started to lean back, letting his body engulf hers as he ravaged at her lips. So much had happened in such a short time that it felt like an eternity ago since they were last intimate like this.

He made quick work on Dolores’ dress, pulling it over her head eagerly. They fumbled a little, James struggling to keep his balance with only one arm yet he still managed to unclasp her bra. Once her breasts were free, he worshipped each one with his mouth, feeling her nipples peak under his tongue.

Dolores sat them both up and slowly removed his clothes one by one. In the beginning, especially during their early days in Hydra, James used to always take control in their love making. It was only recently that Dolores decided she wanted to take the reigns and mount her man instead of always being underneath him.

She straddled his naked body, feeling his stiffness rubbing between her legs and its eagerness to be inside of her. James shuddered with excitement, using his one good arm to hold onto her as she teased him, rubbing herself against him. Finally, she let him enter her and they both groaned with relief. She set the pace and took full control of their love making while James watched her in awe. 

Their breaths became ragged as they both drew closer to their completion. Dolores came first when James started rubbing the sensitive parts between her legs with his fingers. He quickly followed suit; the clenching of her walls, the look on her face and those sweet, sweet moans sending him over the edge. 

They spent the rest of the evening and most of the next day entwined with one another. When Dolores rose on their second day together, she knew it would be their last for a long time.

“It’s going to happen today, Dottie.” He whispered in her ear that morning, as her small frame was enveloped in his, “I’m sorry it’s come so quickly but the sooner I go under, the sooner I can come out.”

She felt a tear run down her cheek and she was glad her back was to him. He didn’t need to see her cry to know her heart was breaking. They savoured what little time they had together, hardly spending a single second without any physical contact. She even walked up to the lab and sat with him for several hours while they tested his body and his blood. Dolores had to admit, this felt nothing like the time they spent at Hydra. The scientists and lab technicians were all very friendly, explaining to them both every test they were performing on him and showing them how the cryogenic freezing worked. It put them somewhat at ease, but Dolores still couldn’t shake the idea of him going back into the cold again. 

When it was time, James stood from the bench he’d been sat on for most of the day and turned towards the machine that had once created so much fear in him. Dolores was stood besides it, inspecting inside the cylinder tube.

“It’s much more comfortable than what Hydra used to put him in.” James heard her remark to one of the lab assistants. It brought a smile to his face thinking about how much he loved that woman and how he hoped she would be there when he woke. 

He gave her one last kiss before stepping into the machine. As the cylinder closed, he watched as she put her hand to the glass, looking so broken but trying so hard to be strong.

“I’ll see you soon, Dottie. I love you.”

“I love you, too”

And then it was done. He closed his eyes and a mist rolled over his sleeping form. He looked so peaceful in the chamber that Dolores started to think that maybe they were doing the right thing.


	11. Chapter 11

“Mrs Roger-Barnes, may I take a moment of your time?”

Dottie smiled at the sound of that voice, and finally took her eyes away from her sleeping husband for the first time that day. It had been two weeks since James went under, and every day Dottie would sit with him for several hours just watching over him. 

Aveena was the main physician at the palaces hospital wing and personal doctor to the king himself. She had been the one who took care of Dottie’s wounds, insisting that she still continue to visit her every other day for check ups. Their relationship had developed into a friendship, something Dottie was grateful for now that she was alone. She had still heard nothing from her father, which she could understand at first. But the more that time went on, the more it bothered her. 

But it was unusual for Aveena to come find her at the cryogenic lab, let alone address her by her last names. Dottie felt a sickly feeling hit her stomach, her breakfast threatening to decorate the floor.

“This sounds serious, Doctor.”

“Come to my office, there is something I need to discuss with you.”

Dottie didn’t like the sound of that but followed her in silence anyway. She took one last look at James before leaving. She started to wonder if the procedure to free him was causing his organs to shut down like Shuri had warned or that it was going to take them longer than expected to wake him up. The lab assists hadn’t been acting any differently with her than normal that day, but maybe they were hiding something? Getting the Doctor to break the news to her, someone she was comfortable with.

Dottie took a seat as the office door shut, her mind working a hundred miles a minute.

“Its James isn’t it? Something happened?”

“No, James is fine. It’s you. I’ve had some blood work results back that we took from you yesterday.”

“And?”

***

“Hey Dottie, it’s me. Its Papa. I just wanted to drop you a message, I’ve been trying to set up Skype calls with you for weeks and they mustn’t be getting through. Maybe it’s a bad connection or I keep missing you... Anyway, I just wanted to send you a message and see how you are. And I want to say I’m sorry.

“When I went to free the others, I didn’t expect it to take me this long to get back to you. I knew the risks, I knew it would make me and them fugitives but I can’t stop just yet. Bad things are still happening in the world and it’s our job to stop it, I can’t sit idly by while Hydra are still out there. There are only small groups left now, nothing to worry about and nothing we can’t handle. But I want it gone. I have a duty to you, to Bucky, to make sure that you can leave Wakanda without fear of being taken by them. Once they are gone, once all traces are eliminated, I’ll come for you. 

“I want to get to know my daughter, Dottie. I want to be a good father to you, and right now, this is the only way I know how. To keep you safe. Please, just send me a message. Anything. Just, let me know you’re ok. It’s been nearly 6 months...

“I’m sorry, I have to go. I’ll speak to you soon.”

Dottie stopped the message and played it from the beginning once again. It had been sent three days ago, yet she hadn’t replied to it. It was the first time she had physically seen her father since Siberia and he looked so different now. A thick layer of facial hair covered his usually smooth face and his suit was nothing but tattered remains of the battle armour he once wore with pride. He looked exhausted.

She felt guilt creep over her every time she watched it but she was just so angry with him. Angry that he didn’t stay until she woke up, that he had yet to return to see her. He knew that James wasn’t with her, that she was alone and still he left her there. How she would have loved to have fought along side him, to take down Hydra together. But even if he had waited until her wounds had healed, she wouldn’t have been able to stay with him too long.

Dottie sat by the riverbed, like she had every day since coming there with James. She made their little shack a home, something she was proud of and that she couldn’t wait to show him when he finally woke. Every time she thought of him, her chest ached. She missed him terribly, especially on the days she was struggling. Someday were an effort just to get out of bed, but she did, she had too.

Faint footsteps were making there way towards her and she could detect a heartbeat that she had become accustomed too. Shuri had become a great friend, helping her see the light during her darkest days. 

“Have you replied to him yet?” 

Dottie looked down to the tablet in her hands, and shook her head.

“I still don’t know what to say.”

“How about James is cured and will be waking up in the next few days.”

The tablet slipped out of Dottie's hands and clattered against the ground. Shuri bent down to pick it up for her, with a huge grin on her face.

“I made you a promise that he would be cured within the year.”

“I... Thank you!” 

Dottie held on to her friend out of shock and amazement. She couldn’t believe she’d done it and she'd be getting her James back. 

They marched up to the lab together, giddy with excitement. Shuri had spent the last week in the lab, finalising the arrangements to wake James with as little trauma as possible. She didn’t want to inform Dottie of any developments in case there were any setbacks. She had watched Dottie over the last 6 months hide her struggle and grief, she didn’t want any mistakes.

As they arrived, James had already been taken from the cryogenic tube and was now in a hospital bed, still very much asleep.

“We are keeping him sedated until the affects of the freezing wear off. We'll keep him under for the next 24 hours then slowly start to wake him this time tomorrow. How Hydra could have brought him out so quickly must have been so torturous.” Shuri murmered the last statement under her breath.

Dottie looked over her husband with tears in her eyes. She ran her fingers along his cheek, still so cold to the touch. She had watched over him for so long, grieved over him not being with her that she forgot how much she missed just touching his skin. He was always so close, but so far.

“Thank you.” Dottie managed, just above a whisper.

Shuri nodded, “We are taking him to the med bay now if you would like to follow us?”

And she did, holding her husband’s hand as they went. They were given the same room Dottie woke up in when she first arrived at Wakanda, a fitting tribute to the new life they would soon embark on. She stayed by his side that night, refusing to go back home even at the Doctor’s insistence. She didn’t want to miss a minute with him, she had made a promise that she would be there when he woke and she was so frightened of missing it.

Dottie sat in the most comfortable chair the palace had to offer and began to dose. She was still holding his hand as she began to have a vivid dream of him and her, waking up together in their little shack. He had two arms again and he was squeezing her hands with his.

Dottie woke from a slumber when she felt someone grab her hand. She jumped up and found two beautiful blue eyes staring back at her. 

“You’re here.” Was all he managed as his eyes started to close again. He was tired but he was still sporting the most wonderful smiles.

“Of course, my love. I promised.” She whispered in Russian as she stroked his face, pushing his hair behind his ear.

“How long?” 

“Six months.”

He nodded slowly trying to open his eyes again in a rush to wake up. She shushed him trying to get him to rest a little longer, not wanting him to make himself sick.

“Six month, that’s not as long as I thought. Have I missed much?”

Dottie smiled to herself and knew this was the perfect opportunity to tell him. She took the hand of his she was still holding and placed it on her now rounded belly. She felt his fingers rub over it as a look of confusion clouded his face.

“There’s a couple of things I need to catch you up on.”

Like watching the cogs of a clock move, reality sunk in and James shot up right in the bed. His heart began to beat so rapidly, it was almost deafening to Dottie’s ears. For a split second, fear ran though her as James recoiled his hand from her swollen belly, only for it to reach up into her head to pull her head closer to his. He kissed her, hot and heavy before pulling away and returning his focus to their child.

“We're gonna have a baby?!” He whispered through unshed tears of joy. 

“In 12 weeks time, she was conceived just before you went under.”

“She? We're having a girl?!” 

Tears welled in James' eyes, as they did in Dottie's. She'd kept the child a secret for as long as she could until her belly wouldn’t allow any longer. She had spent the last 6 months so frightened that she would be raising this child alone, that Hydra would come for them both. Only a select few people in Wakanda knew who she was, most of the time she kept to herself in her little shack, hiding from it all. She hadn’t dared tell her father in case their communications had been compromised, as much as Shuri reassured her they wouldn’t be, she couldn’t risk it. Hydra always found a way.

James kept his hand on his wife’s blossoming stomach and held it tight. As his mind began to clear, he new focus came front and centre. He would protect them both with all the strength he had to give until his dying breath. He thought he knew joy and happiness before but this, this was something else.

Within a matter of days, James had been released from his hospital bed and with a gift courtesy of Shuri, was given a new prosthetic arm. Unlike his previous one, this felt different, much lighter and gave him so much less pain. At first, he feared it would be a hollowed remind of what Hydra did to him, but instead it gave him purpose. He felt whole again.

And so, they returned to their humbled shack, excited for what their future would bring.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it. This is the final chapter of this story. I have a chapter that I wrote which I'll post after as it didn't quite sit anywhere within this story and then maybe, after some time, I'll consider a sequel. We'll see. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it. 
> 
> Forgive me for this ending.

A sickness washed over Steve as he looked out on what would soon become a battle field. He shouldn’t have came here and he knew it but it was too late. Bucky was stood by his side which should have brought him comfort but it didn’t. He had been off with him from the moment he arrived and he knew why. He'd left Dottie alone when he promised to take care of her and for that he was truly sorry. He turned to his oldest friend to have what could be their final conversation.

“Is she out of the city?”

James shook his head, “She'll be safe as long as we keep the fight here. There are ships being prepared to take the royal family should we fail, she’s been guaranteed safe passage with them.”

His tone was sharp and very to the point. At no point did he look at Steve.

“When were you going to tell me she was pregnant?”

“When were planning on getting to know your daughter? She was alone for 6 months Steve, you promised...”

“I was destroying what was left of Hydra so you both could be safe. Bucky, I’m so sorry. I don’t want to fight, not when this could be our last...”

They stood in silence and watched as T'challa's troupes get into formation.

“Has she forgiven you?”

“In a round about way. I know I’ve still got a lot of making up to do.”

“Then so do I. But when this is over, we'll be having a serious conversation just the three of us. Grandpa.”

Steve turned to Bucky and caught a small grin in the corner of his mouth. He was forgiven, but it wouldn’t be the end of it and he deserved that. He cast his mind back to a year ago when all he had to focus on was finding Bucky and his daughter. Now not only did he have them both, but a granddaughter on the way too. Just as his life was coming together and his family finally complete, it was all once again in jeopardy. Thanos was coming for the infinity stones, and like hell would he let him get then. 

Behind him, watching from a monitor high up in the palace was his heavily pregnant and incredibly anxious daughter. She rubbed her huge belly, now in its finally stage of growth and tried her hardest to stay calm. Only a few hours earlier did she reconcile with her father over his absence and now he was gone to fight another battle that he might not return from. Her hands quivered at the thought of neither of her boys coming home to her.  
Her child must have felt it too as an ache in her lower back ran across her stomach and down before stopping moments after. It had happened several times that day but the pain was strong enough now to make her wince. Aveena watched as Dottie clutched her lower stomach where it was strongest.

“Have you had many pains like that, today?” she questioned.

“One or two, but they have been hours apart and only last 30 seconds at the most.”

Aveena furrowed her brow and pulled a tablet out of her pocket. She began to scan over Dottie’s bump when a second wave of pain flew through her body, making her clutch the arm of the chair she was sitting in. She took a deep breath and breathed though it as the ache subsided. She looked at the Doctor’s concerned face and knew exactly what was going on.

“I’m in labour, aren’t I?”

“I’m afraid so, possibly 5cm dilated. We need to get you to the medical bay so I can examine you. Can you walk?”

Dottie nodded and got to her feet, walking as briskly as her body would let her. She stopped in the corridor as another ripple of pain coursed through her and a gush of water came from between her legs. There on the floor was a pool of crimson fluid, soaking through her canvas shoes and along the edges of her skirt. She eyed the doctor who was trying to radio for assistance through an in ear piece.

“I can do it, it’s not far. Tell them just to get ready for when we arrive.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. But I need to borrow your phone.”

***

The creatures had infiltrated the barrier. Steve had fought aliens in the past but never had he seen anything like this before. These dog like creatures sacrificed themselves, one by one forcing their way through until there was no other option than to open the barrier to stop them surrounding the city. He'd lost count of how many he’d slaughtered which was not a particularly difficult feat but the sheer number of them was frightening. 

His eyes were constantly on the rest of his team, ensuring no woman or man would fall on this day. They were his friends, his family and he would stop at nothing to protect them.

The coms in his ear beeped signalling that an outside line was trying to connect. He ran his shield through the neck of a rabid alien dog before pressing to connect the call.

“Papa, its Dottie. Where’s James? His coms...”

“Dottie what is it?”

“The baby's coming and I can’t get hold of James.”

He scoured the field before spotting Bucky taking on a group of five creatures at once. Steve sprinted towards him, leaving a trail of alien ooze in his path. All the while, he could hear his daughters cries in his ear. He helped Bucky take down the squadron before handing him his ear piece.

“Where is your coms, Sergeant? Your wife needs you.”

“It must have fell out. I can't leave the field, Steve. Not like this.”

Steve ran his new shield through the neck of another rampant beast as he turned once again to his friend, “That’s an order Sergeant. Get off the field and protect my daughter and granddaughter. They need you more than ever.”

Bucky put the coms to his ear and gave Steve one final nod before turning towards the palace. Steve said a silent pray to himself that he would get through this day so he could at least meet her. 

As the battle continued, he found Natasha in the thick of it all, taking down one of Thanos' henchmen. She signalled for him to follow her as they ran towards the tree line. She steadied to a slow pace while she checked a tracking device on her arm, giving them both chance to catch their breath.

“Where’s your ear piece?”

“I gave it to Bucky. What’s happening?”

“Thanos is here. Bruce has just seen him, he's on Vision's tail.”

“We can’t let him get to him.”

They sprinted towards the sound of a commotion where they found him. Thanos tossed Sam aside like he was nothing more than a rag doll. Standing taller than the Hulk and a lot more menacing, Steve had no other choice than to challenge him. He ran straight for the fingers of the gauntlet, pulling it with all his might. But while he was concentrating on the left hand, he didn’t take into account the right. 

Just as he could feel Thanos grip on the gauntlet begin to loosen, Steve took an incredible blow to the head. The force behind it was unlike anything he had felt since taking the serum, instantly knocking him out cold.

It took Steve a solid minute to bring himself round but when he did, it was too late. As though in slow motion, he woke to the sight of Thanos placing the final stone into the gauntlet, Vision’s pale corpse at his feet. He could feel the power of the collected stone surge through air and then another again when Thor's axe collided with the madman. In that moment, he thought they’d done it, that by the skin of their teeth they’d stopped him. But then he raised his gloved fist and before Steve could get to his feet, Thanos clicked his fingers.

In his weakened state, Thanos disappeared leaving Thor's axe to fall to the ground. Steve stood there with baited breath, hoping that it hadn’t worked. But then one by one, the people around him began to fall. 

The first person he witnessed was Sam, who called out Steve’s name. He had a look on his face, so confused and then his body disintegrated into nothing more than dust. He turned to looked at Wanda who was now cradling Vision's body as she too faded away.

Steve's breath caught in this throat as he ran to Natasha.

“Your coms, Natasha. I need it.”

She hastily took it out of her ear as she tried to take in the magnitude of what was happening around them.

“Bucky, you there?”

“Steve?” 

The line went dead. He called for him again but there was no answer. 

Then he ran.

He vaguely remembered Natasha calling for him but he wasn’t listening. He needed to get to her. As he made his way back through what remained of the battle field, bodies began to disintegrate all around him. He ran through a pile of ash with a hand over his mouth so he wouldn’t breath it in. God only knows whose poor sole it was.

Steve only stopped when he found Bucky’s gun at the steps of the palace. He paused to pick it up, his hand shaking over the pile of ash besides it. His throat tightened and he chocked back tears; not again, not Bucky. 

But then he heard it. A noise that would haunt his dreams every night until the day he died. A blood curdling scream over the deafening silence. Someone so hysterical, he dread to think what they might have lost. He got to his feet and followed the screams to the medic bay, his full body shaking now. 

He told himself it couldn’t be, it wasn’t her. He felt himself praying once again out loud that those screams didn’t belong to her. 

His footsteps echoed in time with his heartbeat, both of which were ringing in his ear when he found the room. He flung the door open, almost taking it off its hinges and nearly collapsed at the sight before him.

There was his daughter, his beautiful Dottie cradling a blanket containing nothing but dust. Her face was so contorted in pain as she continued to scream, her word were now nothing more than animalistic cries for help. Steve did the only thing he could do and climbed onto the bed to hold her. It didn’t stop the screams, it only muffled them into his chest.

Steve let the tears fall then, and pain cracked through his sole. He’d lost, they all had. Why her? Why such a small, precious life and not his? 

He took his daughters head in his hand and forced her to look at him. Her face was so red and raw from tears, she looked so broken. 

“Papa... my baby...” Was all her hoarse voice could manage. 

“I’ll find a way I’ll get them back to you, I promise.”

He regretted those words as soon as they left his lips. He didn’t know how to fix this. This was beyond him. They had failed and Steve didn’t know what to do.


	13. Meeting Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little something that didn't quite fit anywhere in my story but something I thought you would enjoy.

“Recite the plan back to me, once more.”

 

Dolores sighed while changing into the clothes James had just handed her. She was slowly losing her patience with him.

 

“I know the plan, James. You don’t need to hear me say it again.”

 

“Yes, I do or I call it off.”

 

Dolores shot him a filthy look while throwing a cardigan on over the nurses uniform she was now wearing. The clothes he’d given her were far too big but it didn’t matter, they would still do the job. 

 

“I walk through the main doors, I head up the flight of stairs and I take a right. I take the 2nd left and then left again. Her room is 16b, the one at the end of the corridor.”

 

“Correct. Then what?”

 

“She’ll be expecting the nurses to do their final rounds of the evening. I enter, pour her a fresh glass of water, I ensure she is comfortable and I ask if she needs anything else before I leave. I then turn out her light and walk back out the main doors.”

 

“And how long will it take you?”

 

“8 minutes.”

 

“That’s right. I want you in and out of there in 8 minutes or else I’ll be coming in there after you, are we clear?”

 

“Crystal.” Dolores murmured.

 

“And Dottie? Under no circumstances can you tell her who you are.”

 

After learning about her mother at the museum, Dolores had become obsessed with finding out more about her but information on Agent Peggy Carter was a lot harder to find than that of her father. James did some digging and eventually found that not only was she still alive but she was a resident at a nursing home in Washington DC. 

 

James didn’t like the idea of going back to the place they had just worked so hard to get away from, but he knew she needed this. Peggy was very old and sick, it was probably the last chance Dolores would get to see her mother face to face. 

 

They made their way back to DC, staying in an abandoned factory not far from Peggy’s current home. James watched the home for a few days, learning the daily routines of the staff and finding out exactly which room she was in. After day 4, James had a relatively solid plan and a stolen uniform.

 

“We do this tonight and leave DC straight after, we can’t risk staying here any longer. It wouldn’t take someone long to find us if they knew we were so close by.”

 

Dolores knew exactly who that someone was he was talking about. Apparently, James had spotted her father visiting on his first day scouting the area. He pretty much called the whole thing off until she convinced him to go back the next day and see if he appeared again. Thankfully, he didn’t and James started to form a plan to get her in there.

 

Now that the uniform was on, there was no going back.

 

The nursing home was situated in an old school building that had been refurbished, in a quiet neighbourhood. The clerk at the front desk was usually distracted by the television in the corner of the room after 8pm, making it easy for Dolores to slip passed, especially if she was in a uniform.

 

It was 8:07pm when Dolores entered the building. She picked up a clip board as she went, using the prop to hide her face but luckily, she hadn’t passed anyone so far. She needed to be out in those eight minutes as Peggy’s actual nurse did her rounds at 8:20pm sharp. She made it up the stairs, took a right, found the 2nd left and turned left again. She took a pitcher of water from the nurses station and left the clipboard behind as she went. After what felt like an eternity, she found the door she had been looking for: 16b.

 

She took a deep breath and kept her hand on the handle for a split second. She couldn’t believe after weeks of thinking about nothing else and years of wondering who brought her into this world, she was just on the other side of the door.

 

The sound of two peoples footsteps heading towards her, made her jump and she rushed inside, gently closing the door before they would notice her.

 

“I don’t recall meeting you before. Are you new?”

 

She spoke with a perfect British accent, not even a hint of an American twang considering the amount of time she had spent in this country. Now all Dolores had to do was try to mask her own Russian accent. She had hoped Peggy would be sleeping, her English wasn’t great and she didn’t want to make a fool of herself.

 

“Yes, my first day.” 

 

Dolores finally turned from the door to look at her mother. She froze as their eyes met and felt the wind leave her sails. She was sat up in bed with the covers over most of herself, looking much older than the last images she’d seen of her. The wisps of grey had completely taken over her hair now, her face had aged but Dolores could still see the similar features to her own.

 

Peggy looked at her curiously. She suffered no fools; if Dolores didn’t move, she would know something was up. She finally found her feet and brought the jug of water to Peggy’s bedside, pouring her a glass.

 

“Would you like some water now?”

 

“If you've been sent to kill me, I’d prefer it to be quicker than poison. Although, I’m not sure why your superiors would feel the need to attack a frail, old lady. I haven’t work for Shield in years, I know very little about what went on at the Triskelion.”

 

“I... I’m not here to hurt you.” Was all Dolores could manage.

 

“Then why is there a strange Russian girl in my...” Peggy paused mid conversation when Dolores was finally close enough to take a good look at her. Peggy felt like she’d been hit in the chest with a sledge hammer when she saw the girls eyes.

 

“You... you can’t be?” Peggy whispered, “You’re her, aren’t you? You’re my little Rose?”

 

Peggy’s frail fingers grasped round Dolores wrist with a strength that surprised the both of them. All Dolores could do was nod. She had another name, one that her mother had given her. It never occurred to her that her mother would have named her something else. Dolores felt a burning rage in the pit of her stomach that made her want to end Pierce’s life even more, it was just a shame someone had beaten her to it.

 

“I knew it! I knew all along they had taken you from me. I don’t understand, how can you be so young? You must be in your seventies?”

 

“I was frozen for a long time before they woke me up. I’ll be twenty in October.” Dolores smiled, as she sat by her mother’s bedside, “I don’t have long Mama. I just wanted to come and see you, to say hello I suppose.”

 

Tears began to flood down Peggy’s face. She moved her hand up Dolores’ arm, caressing her cheeks and taking in as much about her daughter as she could before she’d forget.

 

“How are you here?”

 

“Do you remember Sergeant James Barnes? He was captured by Hydra too, he’s helped me escape and got me in here to see you.”

 

Peggy just nodded and smiled, tears still streaming down. 

 

“You haven’t been to see your father yet, have you?”

 

“No, not yet.” Dolores whispered with a heavy heart.

 

“Go to him when you’re ready, he’s going to need you as much as you’ll need him.”

Peggy sighed, “My darling girl, I’m so sorry. I looked for you, I want you to know that. I didn’t believe that that child was mine, I knew it wasn’t. My god what did they do to you? Have they hurt you?”

 

“Mama, I’m fine. I promise. James is taking good care of me.”

 

“Tell him he better, or he’ll have me to answer too.”

 

“Why don’t you tell him yourself?” Both Dolores and Peggy stared at the window in shock as the man himself was climbing through it, “I told you 8 minutes, Dottie, that was 3 minutes ago.”

 

“James? My god you haven’t aged a day! You could do with a bloody good hair cut, though.”

 

“Nice to see you too, Pegs.” He bent down and pecked a kiss to her cheek before standing besides Dolores.

 

“Hydra had the both of you and I didn’t... I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.” 

 

Peggy was started to get herself all worked up, to the point that Dolores started to think it was a bad idea coming to see her. She hadn’t expected her to be so lucid, she half expected her to be sleeping.

 

“It’s ok, Mama. No one is to blame. We are free now.”

 

She kissed her mother on the back of her hand and watched as her eyes began to slowly close for a moment. James took his leave out of the window, encouraging Dolores to follow him. Just as Dolores was about to say good bye, Peggy gave her a look of confusion.

 

“Nurse? Could you pass me that glass of water?”

 

And like that, their time together had passed. 

 

Dolores helped her with a glass of water before ensuring she was comfortable and turning out her lights. Peggy closed her eyes and didn’t say another word after that. Dolores knew her mother would never remember the precious few moments they had together, but she would never forget them.


End file.
